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ENGLISH CLASSIC SERlES.-No. 115 116. 



Stories of 

Oe(esus, Oyeus and Babylon 



Feom Heeodotus. 



BY THE 

Rev. Alfred J. Church, M.A., 

Professor of Latin at University College, London; 
AUTHOR OP " STORIES FROM HOMER." 



PREPARED FOR READING IN SCHOOLS. 

®2^iti) Kntrotruction, Notes, piajj, antr ^pronouncing 
irocafiwlars of i^roper Karnes* 



\ 



NEW YORK : "7 7 ^ 2^ 7 

Matnakd, Merrill & Co., Publishers. 



3158 



A Complete Course in the Study of English. 



spelling, Language, Grammar, Composition, Literature, 



Reed's Word Le3Sons-A Complete Speller. 
Reed's Introductory Language Work. 

Reed & Kellogg'S Graded Lessons in English. 
Reed & Kellogg's Higher Lessons in English. 

Reed & Kellogg's One-Book Course in English. 
Kellogg'S Text-Book on Rhetoric. 

KELLOGG'S Text-Book on English Literature, 



In the preparation of this series the authors have had one object 
clearly in view — to so develop the study of the English language as 
to present a complete, progressive course, from the Spelling-Book to 
the study of English Literature. The troublesome contradictions 
which arise in using books arranged by different authors on these 
subjects, and which require much time for explanation in the school- 
room, will be avoided by the use of the above "Complete Course.'* 

Teachers are earnestly invited to examine these books. 

Effingham MayNARD & Co., Publishers, 

77 1 Broadway, New York. 



Copyright, 1893, 
By EFFINGHAM MAYNARD & CO. 



II- 



■? / -a /-r^ 



mTRODUCTIOK. 

One of the most encouraging signs of improvement in the 
worli of the schools is the substitution of literature itself for the 
literary fragments of the old-time reading-books. The discovery 
is made, at last, that the only way to secure good tastes and good 
reading habits is to bring children intimately and systematically 
in contact with good literature in the school-room, and not 
merely in the higher grades, but in all grades. To the end that 
the reading exercise may be in itself a pleasure for the pupil and 
a contribution to his permanent culture, the "English Classic 
Series " is furnishing essays, poems, and stories in their entirety, 
complete masterpieces from the best authors of English and 
American literature. 

Professor Church's charming " Stories" from the ancient classics 
have established their right to a place among English classics, 
and their special fitness for the reading of young pupils will be 
appreciated in every school where knowledge and culture have 
the preference above discipline and drill. Of his stories from 
Herodotus two are given without abridgment in this number, the 
story of Croesus and the story of Cyrus, constituting about one 
half of the volume entitled "Stories of the East." "In these 
stories," says Professor Church, "I have kept as close to my 
original as I could, but I do not profess to have translated it." 

In preparing the text for school use a few notes have been 
added, intended mainly to serve as inducements and aids to fur- 
ther reading. A good classical dictionary should be frequently 
consulted. No attempt Las been made to distinguish myth and 
fiction from fact and history. 'It is wiser to let the young im- 
agination freely recreate for itself the ancient world, and leaA^e to 
time and future reading the work of correction and readjust- 
ment of ideas. It would not be well, for example, to spoil a good 

3 



4 INTRODUCTIOK. 

story by explaining away tlie mytli about the cb Idbood of Cyrus 
by tbe aid of modern scbolarsbip, or to insist upon the improba- 
bility of Herodotus' account of bis deatb, in view of tbe contra- 
dictory statements of otber writers. 

Tbe attention of pupils may be directed to Professor Cburcb's 
manner of writing, so far at least as to distinguisb bis style from 
tbat of otber modern writers, and to recognize tbe appropriate- 
ness of its quaint simplicity and antique flavor in describing sub- 
jects so remote in time and place. 

Mucb additional interest and profit will be derived from stand- 
ard volumes of Eastern travel and arcbaeological research. Eago- 
zin's "Story, of Assyria," "Story of Cbaldea," and "Story of 
Media, Babylon, and Persia " (Story of tbe Nations Series) are 
especially valuable. Rawlinson's ' ' Five Great Monarchies" 
may also be consulted, and the same author's Translation of 
Herodotus. 

J. W. A. 



HEEODOTUS. 

Herodotus, the ''Father of History," was born about the 
year 484 B.C., in Halicarnassus, a Greek city of Asia Minor. 
This city was under Persian rule, and thus for thirty or more 
years he was a Persian subject. He was early inclined to 
study, perhaps by the influence of an uncle, Panyasis, an epic 
poet of fame, and soon made himself familiar with all the 
masterpieces of Greek literature. But he loved travel and 
the knowledge of living men quite as well as reading and the 
knowledge of books. So for many years he traveled, visiting 
all parts of Asia Minor, Greece, and the neighboring islands. 
He made the long and perilous journey to the Persian capital 
Susa, and visited Babylon, Scythia, and Colchis. He went to 
Palestine, explored the antiquities of Tyre, and made a long 
sojourn in Egypt, everywhere noting carefully the manners 
and customs of the people, their legends, history, and arts, the 
products of the land, the cities and modes of government. 
And thus by study and travel he was prepared, when nearly 
forty years of age, to write his great " History." 

It was his main purpose to write a history of the struggle 
between Greece and Persia; but while tracing the growth of 
these great nations he naturally set forth the history of many 
subject nations, as Lydia, Media, Assyria, Scythia, Thrace, 
and Egypt. When the book was written he began to recite it 
to the citizens of his native town, for such was the method by 
which a book was then "published." But the prophet was 
without honor in his own land, for his countrymen ridiculed 
his splendid work. Angered and disheartened, he turned his 
back upon them forever, and went to Athens. 





6 HERODOTUS. 

It was at the time of the great Pericles and the faseinatiDg 
Aspasia, the golden age of Athenian art and culture. Here 
his recitations won such approval that he was given the sum of 
ten talents (twelve thousand dollars) by decree of the people, 
and he was received as a friend and an equal by the most distin- 
guished artists, philosophers, and poets — Phidias, Zeno, Sopho- 
cles, Euripides, Thucydides, and many more. From this point 
in his career little is known of him, except that he spent much 
time in rewriting and perfecting his history. He would doubt- 
less have spent the rest of his life in Athens, but such were 
the laws that he could not easily become a citizen, and among 
the Greeks it was thought an unworthy thing to be without 
citizenship. Accordingly, in the year 444 B.C., he went with 
a Greek colony to the new city of Thurii, in Italy, where he 
probably died at about the age of sixty. 

Of the character of Herodotus' narrative Professor Church 
says: " I should be sorry that readers who are not acquainted 
with the work of the ' Father of History ' should carry away 
from this book the impression that he is nothing more than a 
credulous and gossiping teller of stories. That he was often 
deceived, and that he writes with a simplicity which is quite 
remote from our ways of thinking, is manifest; but those who 
know him best are aware that he was nevertheless a shrewd 
and painstaking observer, whose credit has been distinctly in- 
creased by the discoveries of modern times. " 



Stoeies of 

CRCESus, Cyrus and Babylon 

FEOM HeEODOTUS. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE STOEY OF KIl^G CECESUS. 

1. Cecesus, the son of Alyattes, began to reign over 
Lydia, being thirty and five years old. This Croesus 
made war upon all the Greeks that dwelt in the western 
parts of Asia, seeking some occasion of quarrel with 
every city. And if he could find some great matter, he 5 
used it gladly; but if not, a little thing would serve his 
turn. 

2. Now the first of all the cities which he fought 
against was Ephesus; and when the Ephesians were be- 
sieged by him they offered their city as an offering to 10 
the goddess Artemis, fastening a rope to the wall from 

I. Alyattes (a-li-at'teez): This king reigned over Lydia from 617 to 560 
B.C. His tomb, north of Sardis, near Lake Gygaea, was a mound of earth, 
raised upon a foundation of great stones, nearly a mile in circumference. 
In recent years a room was found in the center of the mound, lined with 
polished white marble. But it had long been empty, having been plund- 
ered, probably, for the many precious things it contained. Sardis, his 
capital, was a splendid city, and through its market-place flowed the river 
Pactolus with its golden sands. Its site is now marked by the little village 
of Sart. 

II. Artemis (ar'te-mis): One of the great divinities of the Greeks, called 
by the Romans Diana (di-a'na). She was the twin-sister of Apollo, and the 
protectress of the young, the flocks, and the chase. She w as armed with a 
bow, quiver, and arrows, A§ h^v brother Apollo was god of the sun, so she 



10 STORIES OF CENSUS, CYEUS AND BABYLON. 

her temple. (The space between the temple and the 
wall was seven furlongs.) All the cities of the Greeks 
that are on the mainland did Croesus subdue, so that 
they paid tribute to him. And when he had ended this 
5 business, he purposed in his heart to build ships, and to 
make war on the Greeks that dwelt in the islands. 

3. But when all things were now ready for the build- 
ing of the ships, there came to Sardis a certain Greek, 
a man renowned for wisdom. S ome say that this Greek 

10 was Bias, the wise man of Priene, and some that he was 
Pittacus of Mitylene. 

4. This Greek caused Croesus to cease from his ship- 
building, for when the King would know whether he 
had any news from Greece, he said to him, " King, 

15 the islanders are buying ten thousand horses, that they 
may set riders upon them, and so march against thee 
and thy city of Sardis." 

5. When Croesus heard this he was glad, hoping that 
the man spake truth, and said, "Now may the Gods 

20 put this into the hearts of the islanders, that they should 
make war with horses against the sons of the Lydians.^' 
Then the Greek answered and said, " King, I see that 
thou prayest with all thy heart that thou mayest find 
the islanders coming against thee here on the mainland 

25 with horses, and verily thou doest well. What then 
dost thou think that the islanders pray for now that 

was also goddess of the moon; as such she was represented to be in love 
with the fair youth Endyraion (en-dim'i-on), whom she kissed in his sleep. 
The Ephesian Artemis differed somewhat from this Greek goddess, being 
worshiped as the goddess of the all-nourishing powers of nature; hence her 
image in the great temple of Ephesus represented her with many breasts. 
Her splendid temple was regarded as one of the seven wonders of the 
world. 

10. Bias : This Bias of Priene (pri-e'ne) in Ionia was accounted one of the 
seven wise men of Greece. Pittacus of Mitylene (mit-i-le'ne) was another 
of the "seven sages," celebrated both as a warrior and as a philosopher. 
Two famous maxims were ascribed to him, " Know th^ flttting moment," 
and " It is a misfortune to be eminent," 



STOEIES OF CKGESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLOIT. 11 

they know tliee to be building ships ? Surely that they 
may find the Lydians coming against them on the sea, 
that so they may take vengeance on thee for their 
brethren on the mainland, whom thou hast brought into 
slavery." 5 

6. This sayinsf pleased King Croesus mightily; and 
because the Greek seemed to him to speak truly, he 
ceased straightway from his ship-building, and made 
alliance with the Greeks that dwelt in the islands. 

7. Now after certain years, when all Asia that lieth lo 
to the westward of the river Halys had been subdued 
by Croesus (only Lycia and Cilicia were not subdued), 
and his kingdom flourished with great wealth and 
honor, there came to Sardis all the wise men of the 
Greeks, as many as there were in those days. But the 15 
greatest of all that came was Solon of Athens. 

8. This Solon had made laws for the Athenians, for 
they would have him make them, and afterward he 
dwelt abroad for ten years. And he said that he did this 
that he might see foreign countries ; but in truth he 20 
departed that he might not be compelled to change any 
of the laws that he had made. For the Athenians them- 
selves could not change any, having bound themselves 
with great oaths to Solon, that they would live for the 
space of ten years under the laws which he had made 25 
for them. 

9. Solon therefore came to Sardis, and Croesus enter- 
tained him in his palace. And on the third or fourth 
day after his coming the King commanded his servants 



16. Solon : Pupils will take pleasure in reading the account of this great 
law-giver and his wise and patriotic work in Plutarch's Lives. The consti- 
tution which he gave to the Athenians, and the many excellent reforms 
which he accomplished, are fully described in Grote's History of Greece, 
Vol. III. 



12 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AN"D BABYLOl!?". 

that they should show Solon all the royal treasures. So 
the servants showed him all the things that the King 
possessed, a very great store of riches. 

10. And when he had seen everything and considered 
5 it, and a fitting time was come, the King said to him, 

"Man of Athens, I have heard much of thee in time 
past, of thy wisdom and of thy journey ings to and fro, 
for they say that thou wanderest over many lands, seek- 
ing for knowledge. I have therefore a desire to ask of 
10 thee one question : ' Whom thinkest thou to be the hap- 
piest of all the men that thou hast seen? ' '^ 

11. And this he said hoping that Solon would answer, 
" Thou, King, art the happiest man that I have seen." 
But Solon flattered him not a whit, but spake the truth, 

15 saying, "0 King, the happiest man that I have seen 
was Tellus the Athenian." Then Crcesus, marveling 
much at these words, said, "And why thinkest thou 
that Tellus the Athenian was the happiest of men V 

12. Then Solon answered, " Tellus saw his country in 
2o great prosperity, and he had children born to him that 

were fair and noble, and to each of these also he saw 
children born, of whom there died not one. Thus did 
all things prosper with him in life, as we count pros- 
perity, and the end of his days also was great and 

25 glorious; for when the Athenians fought with certain 
neighbors of theirs in Eleusis, he came to the help of 
his countrymen against their enemies, and put these to 
flight, and so died with great honor; and the whole 
people of the' Athenians buried him in the same place 

30 wherein he fell, and honored him greatly." 

13. But when Solon had ended speaking to the King 
of Tellus, how happy he was, the King asked him again, 
^' Whoni; then, hast thou seen that was next in happiness 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLON. 13 

to this Tellus T' For lie thought to himself, " Surely 
now he will give me the second place/' Then Solon 
said, " I judge Cleobis and Biton to have been second 
in happiness to Tellus/' 

14. Cleobis and Biton were youths of the city of 5 
Argos. They had a livelihood such as sufficed them; 
and their strength was greater than that of other men. 
Por not only did they win prizes of streugth, but also 
they did this thing that shall now be told. 

15. The men of Argos held a feast to Here, who hath lo 
a great and famous temple in their city; and it must 
needs be that the mother of the two young men, being 
priestess of Here, should be drawn in a wagon from the 
city to the temple; but the oxen that should have 
drawn the wagon were not yet come from the fields. 15 

16. Then, as the time pressed and the matter was 
urgent, the young men harnessed themselves to the 
wagon and dragged it, and their mother the priestess 
sat upon it. And the space for which they dragged it 
was forty and five furlongs; and so they came to the 20 
temple. 

17. And when they had done this in the eyes of all 
the assembly, there befell them such a death that noth- 
ing could be more to be desired; the Gods, indeed, 
making it manifest that it is far better for a man to die 25 
than to live. For indeed the thing fell out thus. 

18. When all the people of Argos came about the 

13. Her6 (he're) : The Greek name of Juno, who was the wife of Jnpiter 
(Zeus), and therefore queen of heaven (Olympus). At her marriage all the 
gods honored her with presents, and Terra (the earth) gave her a tree with 
golden apples, which was guarded by the Hesperides (hes-per'i-deez) at the 
foot of Mt. Atlas. Because Paris decided that Venus was more beautiful 
than Juno, she hated the Trojans, and was on the side of the Greeks in the 
Trojan war. She was the goddess of marriage, and splendid festivals were 
held at her temple in Argos. She was depicted with bridal veil, diadem, 
and scepter, and a peacock at her side. See Classical Dictionaiy mider 
JiinOt Hesperides., and Faris, 



14 STORiES OF CRCEStJS, CYRtJS AKD BAJBYLON, 

woman and her sons, and the men praised the youths 
for their great strength, and the women praised the 
mother that she had borne such noble sons, the mother 
in the joy of her heart stood before the image and 
5 prayed that the goddess would give to her sons, even 
Cleobis and Biton, that which the Gods judge it best 
for a man to have. 

19. And when the priestess had so prayed, and the 
young men had offered sacrifice, and made merry with 

lo their companions, they lay down to sleep in the temple, 
and woke not again, but so ended their days. And the 
men of Argos commanded the artificers that they 
should make statues of the young men, and these they 
offered to the god at Delphi. 

15 20. But when Solon thus gave the second place of 
happiness to these young men. King Croesus was very 
wroth, and said, " Man of Athens, thou countest my 
happiness as nothing worth, not deeming me fit to be 
compared even with common men." 

20 21. Then Solon made answer, " Croesus, thou askest 
me about mortal life to say whether it be happy or no, 
but I know that the Gods are jealous and apt to bring 
trouble upon men. I know also that if a man^s years 
be prolonged he shall see many things that he would 

25 fain not see, aye, and suffer many things also. 

22. " Now I reckon that the years of a man^s life are 
threescore and ten, and that in these years there are 
twenty and five thousand days and two hundred. For 
this is the number, if a man reckon not the intercalated 

30 month. But if he reckon this, seeing that in threescore 
and ten years are thirty and five such months, and the 

27. Threescore and ten : " The days of our years are threescore years 
and ten." — Psalms, xc. 10. 



STORIES OF CIi(EStJS, CYRUS AHD BABYLOi?". 16 

days of these montlis are one thousand and fifty, then 
the whole snm of the days of a man's life is twenty and 
six thousand two hundred and fifty. 

23. " Now of these days, being so many, not one bring- 
eth to a man things like to those which another hath 5 
brought. Wherefore, King, the whole life of man is 
full of chance. I see indeed that thou hast exceeding 
great wealth and art king of many men. But as to that 
which thou askest of me, I call thee not hajDpy, till I 
shall know that thou hast ended thy days prosperously. lo 

24. "For the man that hath exceeding great riches is 
in no wise happier than he that hath sufficient only for 
the day, unless good fortune also remain with him, and 
give him all things that are to be desired, even unto the 
end of his days. 15 

25. " For many men that are wealthy beyond measure 
are nevertheless unhappy, and many that have neither 
poverty nor riches have yet great happiness, and he that 
is exceeding rich and unhappy withal, excelleth him 
that hath moderate possessions with happiness in two 20 
things only, but the other excelleth in many things. 

26. " For the first hath the more strength to satisfy 
the desires of his soul, and also to bear up against any 
misfortune that cometh upon him; but the second 
hath not this strength; and indeed he needeth it 25 
not, for his good fortune keepeth such things far from 
him. Also he is whole in body, and of good health, 
neither doth misfortune trouble him, and he hath good 
children, and is fair to look upon. 

27. " And if, over and above these things, he also end 30 

3. Herodotus makes Solon count his months at 30 days each; but the 
Greek months were alternately of 29 and 30 days, and the years were alter- 
nately of 12 and 13 months, with the inserted or intercalary month omitted 
once in eight years. Thus Hf rodotus makes the amount much too large. 



16 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLOK. 

his life well, then I judge him to be the happy man 
whom thou seekest. But till he die, so long do I hold 
my judgment, and call him not happy indeed, but for- 
tunate. 
5 28. " It is impossible also that any man should com- 
prehend in his life all things that ])e good. For even 
as a country sufficeth not for itself nor produceth all 
things, but hath certain things of its own and receiveth 
certain from others, and as that country which pro- 

10 duceth the most is counted the best, even so is it with 
men, for no man^s body sufficeth for all things, but 
hath one thing and lacketh another. 

29. "Whosoever, King, keepeth ever the greatest 
store of things, and so endeth his life in a seemly 

15 fashion, this man deserveth in my judgment to be called 
happy. But we must needs regard the end of all things, 
how they shall turn out; for the Gods give to many 
men some earnest of happiness, but yet in the end over- 
throw them utterly." 

20 30. These were the words of Solon. But they pleased 
not King Croesus by any means. Therefore the King 
made no account of him, and dismissed him as being a 
foolish and ignorant person, seeing that he took no heed 
of the blessings that men have in their hands, bidding 

25 them always have regard unto their end. 

31. Now it came to pass after Solon had departed 
from Sardis that there came great wrath from the Gods 
upon King Croesus, and this, doubtless, because he 
judged himself to be the happiest of all men. 

30 32. And it happened in this wise. He saw a vision 
in his sleep, that told him of the trouble that should 
come upon him with respect to his son. For the King 
had two sons; but the one was afflicted of the Gods, 



STORIES OP CROESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLON". 17 

being dumb from his birth, but the other far surpassed 
his equals of age in all things. And the name of this 
son was Atys. 

33. Now the vision that he saw in his sleep showed 
him that Atys should be smitten with a spear-point of 5 
iron, and so die. Therefore when he woke from his 
sleep and considered the matter, being much terrified 
by the dream, he sought how he might best keep his 
son from this peril. 

34. First, then, he married him to a wife; and next, lo 
he suffered him not to go forth any more to battle, 
though he had been wont aforetime to be the captain 
of the host; and, besides all this, he took away all jave- 
lins and spears, and such like things that men are wont 
to use in battle, from the chambers of the men, and 15 
stored them elsewhere, lest perchance one of them 
should fall from its place where it hung upon the wall 
and give the youth a hurt. 

35. Now it chanced that while the matter of the 
young man's marriage was in hand, there came to Sardis 20 
a certain stranger, upon whom there had come the 
great trouble of blood-guiltiness. The man was a Phryg- 
ian by birth, and of the royal house: and he came 
into the palace of Croesus, after the custom of that 
country, and sought for one that should cleanse him 25 
from his guilt; and Croesus cleansed him. (Now the 
manner of cleansing is the same, for the most part, 
among the Lydians as it is among the Greeks.) 

25. According^ to the custom, the person seeking to be cleansed entered the 
house of a stranger, threw himself upon the hearth, stuck his sword into 
the ground, and covei'ed his face with his hands. The master of tlie house 
then sacrificed a pig, and washed tlie hands of the guilty person in the 
blood. After the sacrifice had been properly performed the name of the 
fugitive was asked, t.nd the circumstances of his crime. Such lites of puri- 
fication formed an important part of the religious practices Of the ancients. 
See "Encyclopaedia Britannica under Lustration. 



18 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKr> BABYLOiT. 

36. And when the King had done for him according 
to all that was prescribed in the law, he would fain 
know who he was, and whence he had come. Where- 
fore, he asked him, saying, " My friend, who art thou ? 

5 and from what city of Phrygia — for that thou art a 
Phrygian I know — art thou come, taking sanctury at 
my hearth ? And what man or woman didst thou 
slay r 

37. And the man answered, " King, I am the son 
lo of Gordias, the son of Midas, and my name is Adrastus, 

and I slew my own brother, not wittingly. For this 
cause am I come to thee, for my father drave me out 
from my home, and I am utterly bereft of all things.^^ 

38. To this King Croesus made reply, " Thou art the 
15 son of friends, and to a friend art thou come. Verily 

as long as thou abidest here thou shalt lack for not*h- 
ing that I can give thee. And as for thy trouble, it will 
be best for thee to bear it as easily as may be." So the 
man lived thenceforth in the King^s palace. 
20 39. Now about this time there was a mighty wild 
boar in Olympus, that is a mountain of Mysia. It had 
its den in the mountain, and going out thence did 



10. Gordias : It was the chariot of this ancient king of Phrygia that Alex- 
ander found at Gordium. The yoke was fastened to the pole by a knot of 
bark, and an oracle had said that he who untied tliis knot should rule over 
all Asia. Alexander cut the " Gordian Knot " and thus applied the 
prophecv to himself. 

10. Midas (mi' das): Midas was the king who so loved wealth that he 
prayed the god Bacchus to grant him the favor that all things which he 
touched might be turned to gold. But when even the food that he touched 
became gold, he implored the god to take back his favor. Thereupon Bac- 
chus sent him to bathe in the river Pacfolus, and thus he was saved, but 
ever after the sand of the river was filled with gold. Once, in a musical 
contest between Pan and Apollo, Midas decide! in favor of Pan, and for his 
bad taste Apollo changed his ears to ass's ears. Midas concealed th..n 
under his Phrygian cap, but a servant discovered the secret, and bei^g 
unable to keep it, yet afraid to leveal it, dug a hole in the earth and whis- 
pered into it, " King Midas has ass's ears ;" and he filled the hole again, but 
the reeds that grew there whispered the secret to the winds forever after. 
Read Hawthorne's delightful version of the story of Midas, "The Golden 
Touch," in the " Wonder Book." 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLON". 19 

much damage to the possessions of the Mysians ; and 
the Mysians had often sought to slay him, but harmed 
him not at all, but rather received harm themselves. 

40. At the last they sent messengers to the King ; 
who stood before him, and said, ''^ King, a mighty 5 
monster of a wild boar hath his abode in our country 
and destroyeth our possessions, and though we would 
fain kill him we cannot. Now therefore we pray thee 
that thou wilt send thy son, and chosen youths with 
him, and dogs for hunting, that they may go with us, lo 
and that we may drive this great beast out of our land.^^ 

41. But when they made this request Croesus remem- 
bered the dream which he had dreamed, and said, "As 
to my son, talk no more about him, for I will by no 
means let him go, seeing that the youth is newly mar- 15 
ried to a wife, and careth now for other things. But 
chosen youths of the Lydians shall go with you, and all 
the hunting dogs that I have ; and I will bid them do 
their utmost to help you, that ye may drive this wild 
beast out of your land.^^ This was the King^s answer; 20 
and the Mysians were fain to be content with it. 

42. But in the meanwhile the youth came in, for he 
had heard what the Mysians demanded of his father; 
and he spake to the King, saying, " my father, I was 
wont aforetime to win for myself great credit and honor 25 
going forth to battle and to hunting. But now thou 
forbiddest me both the one and the other, not having 
seen any cowardice in me or lack of spirit. Tell me/ 
my father, what countenance can I show to my fellows 
when I go to the market, or when I come from thence ? 30 
What manner of man do I seem to be to my country- 
men ? and what manner of man to the wife that I have 
newly married ? What thinketh she of her husband ? 



20 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLOK. 

Let me therefore go to this hunting, or, if not, prove 
to me that it is better for me to live as I am living this 
day." 

43. To this Croesus made answer, " My son, I have 
5 seen no cowardice or baseness or any such thing in 

thee ; but there appeared to me a vision in my sleep, 
and it stood over me and said that thy days should be 
few, for that thou shouldest die being smitten by a spear- 
point of iron. For this reason I made this marriage for 

10 thee, and send thee not forth on such occasions as I was 
wont to send thee on, keeping thee under guard, if so 
be that I may shield thee from thy fate at the least so 
long as I shall live. For thou art now my only son, 
for of him whom the Gods have afflicted, making him 

15 dumb, 1 take no count." 

44. To this the young man made answer, " Thou hast 
good reason, my father, to keep guard over me, seeing 
that thou hast had such a dream concerning me; yet I 
will tell thee a thing that thou hast not understood nor 

20 comprehended in the dream. Thou sayest that the 
vision told thee that I should perish by a spear-point of 
iron. Consider now, therefore, what hands hath a wild 
boar and what spear-point of iron, that thou shouldest 
fear for me ? For if indeed the vision had said that I 

25 should perish by a tooth, or by any other thing that is 
like to a tooth, then thou mightest well do what thou 
doest ; but seeing that it spake of a spear-point, not so. 
Now, therefore, that we have not to do battle with men, 
but with beasts, I pray thee that thou let me go." 

30 45. Then said King Croesus, " It is well said, my son ; 
as to the dream, thou hast persuaded me. Therefore I 
have changed my purpose, and suffer thee to go to this 
hunting." When he had said this, he sent for Adrastus 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS Al^D BABYLON. 21 

the Phrygian ; and when the man was come into his 
presence, he spake, saying, " Adrastus, I took thee when 
thon wast afflicted with a grievous trouble, though in- 
deed with this I upbraid thee not, and I cleansed thee 
from thy guilt, and received thee into my palace, and 5 
sustained thee without any cost of thine. 

46. " Now, therefore, it is well that thou shouldest 
make me some return for all these benefits. I would 
make thee keeper of my son now that he goeth forth 
to this hunting, if it should chance that any robbers or lo 
such folk should be found on the way to do him hurt. 
Moreover, it becometh thee, for thine own sake, to go 
on an errand from which thou mayest win renown; for 
thou art of a royal house and art besides valiant and 
strong.^^ 15 

47. To this Adrastus made answer, " King, I 
had not indeed gone to this sport but for thy words. 
For he to whom such trouble hath come as hath come 
to me should not company with happy men ; nor indeed 
hath he the will to do it. But now, as thou art earnest 20 
in this matter, I must needs yield to thy request. 
Therefore I am ready to do as thou wilt ; be sure, there- 
fore, that I will deliver thee thy son, whom thou bid- 
dest me keep, safe and unhurt, so far as his keeper may 
so do." 25 

48. So the young men departed, and chosen youths 
with them, and dogs for hunting. And when they were 
come to the mountain of Olympus they searched for the 
wild boar, and when they had found it, they stood in a 
circle about it, and threw their spears at it. 30 

49. And so it fell out that this stranger, the same 
that had been cleansed from the guilt of manslaying, 
whose name was Adrastus, throwing his spear at the 



32 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLOK- 



I 



wild boar and missing his aim, smote the son of Croesus. 
And the youth died of the wound, so that the vision of 
the King was fulfilled, that he should die by, a spear- 
point. And straightway there ran one to tell the thingi 
5 to Croesus. And when he had come to Sardis, he told* 
the King how they had fought with the wild boar, and 
how his son had died. 

50. Croesus was very grievously troubled by the death 
of his son ; and this the more because he had been slain 

10 by the man whom he had himself cleansed from the 
guilt of blood. And in his great grief he cried out very 
vehemently against the Gods, and specially against 
Zeus, the god of cleansing, seeing that he had cleansed 
this stranger, and now suffered grievous wrong at his 

15 hands. 

51. He reproached him also as the god of hospitality 
and of friendship — of hospitality, because he had enter- 
tained this man, and knew not that he was entertaining 
the slayer of his own son ; and of friendship, because he 

20 had sent him to be a keeper and friend to his son, yet 
had found him to be an enemy and destroyer. 

52. And when he had done speaking there came 
Lydians bearing the dead body of the young man, and 
the slayer followed behind. So soon, therefore, as the 

25 man was come into the presence of the King, he gave 
himself up, stretching forth his hands, and bidding 
the King slay him on the dead body. And he spake of 
the dreadful deed that he had done before, and that 
now he had added to it a worse thing, bringing de- 

13. Zeus : Jupiter, the father of gods and men, and supreme ruler. He 
dwelt on Mount Olympus, whose summit, it was believed, reached up to 
heaven. He exercised special protecting care over public assemblies and 
private households, and also the sacred oaths and obligations among men. 
Thunder and lightning were bis weapons, and the scepter and the eagle 
were the symbols of his power. 



STOKIES OF CRCESUS, CYEUS Ai^D BABYLOJiT. 23 

striiction on him that had cleansed him ; and he cried 
out that he was not fit to live. 

53. But when Croesus heard him speak, he pitied 
him, for all that he was in grievous trouble of his own, 
and spake to him, '^ I have had from thee, my friend, 5 
all the vengeance that I need, seeing that thou hast 
pronounced sentence of death against thyself. But 
indeed thou art not the cause of this trouble, save only 
that thou hast brought it to pass unwittingly; some 
god is the cause, the same that long since foretold to 10 
me this very thing that hath now befallen me." 

54. So Croesus buried his son with all due rites. But 
Adrastus the son of Gordias the son of Midas, that had 
been the slayer of his own brother, and had now slain 
the son of him that had cleansed him, waited behind 15 
till all men had left the sepulchre, and then slew him- 
self upon it; for he knew that of all the men in the 
world he was the most unhappy. 



CHAPTER II. 

CKCESUS, WISHING TO MAKE WAR AGAIKST THE PER- 
SIANS, CONSULTETH THE ORACLES. 

1. For 'the space of two years did King Croesus sit 
sorrowing for his son. But in the third year his 20 
thoughts were turned to other matters. For he heard 
that the kingdom of Astyages the son of Cyaxares had 

22. The story of Astyages (as-ti'a-jeez), King of Media, and Cyrus, the son 
of Cambyses (kam-bi'seez), is given in Chap. V. Cyaxares (si-aks'a-reez) 
was the great general who conquered the Assyi-ians and destroyed Nineveh. 



24 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLON. 

been overthrown by Cyrns the son of Cambyses, and 
that the power of the Persians increased day by day. 
For which reason it seemed good to him that he should 
prevent this j)eople, if by any means he could, before 
5 they should become too mighty for him. 

2. And so soon as he had conceived this purpose in his 
heart;, he made trial of all the oracles that are both in 
Europe and in Asia, sending messengers to Delphi, and 
to Abae that belongeth to Phocis, and to Dodona. Also 
10 he sent to the oracles of Amphiaraiis, and of Tropho- 
nius, and of Branchidae that is in Miletus. These are 
the oracles in the land of Greece of which he sent to 
inquire, and in Libya he sent to the oracle of Hammon. 



4. Prevent: This word is from two Latin words, proes before, and venire, 
to come; hence it means here to get the start of, to be beforehand with 
this people, and so stop or restrain their growing power. 

7. Read, if possible, the article " Oracle " in the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 
Vol. XVII. 

8. Delphi : The oracle of Apollo at Delphi was the most celebrated 
oracle of the Greeks. In the center of the great temple was a small opening 
in the ground from which an intoxicating vapor arose. Over this stood a 
tripod, on which the priestess Pythia (pith'I-a) sat, when the oracle was to 
be consulted. The words that she uttered after inhaling the vapor were 
carefully written down in verse by the attendant priests and given to the 
persons who had come to coJIsult the oracle. 

9. Abie (a'be): A town of Phocis, which possessed an ancient temple and 
oracle of Apollo. 

9. I><»dona (do-do'na): The most ancient oracle in Greece, in Epirus. 
The responses of the oracle were given from lofty oak trees, by means of 
the wind rushing through the branches. 

10. Amphiaraus (am-fi-a-ra'us): A great prophet and hero. In the war 
against Thebes he was about to be slain when Jupiter struck the earth with 
a thunderbolt and it opened and swallowed up the hero, with his horses 
and chariot. On this spot was his oracle. The inquirer who consulted this 
oracle was obliged to abstain from wine for three daj'S and from all food 
for twenty-four hours, and to sleep in the temple on the skin of a ram 
which he had sacrificed. 

10. Trophonius (tro-fo'ni-us): An architect who with his brother Agame- 
des (ag-a-me'deez) built the temple at Delphi. After death he was wor- 
shiped as a hero and had an oracle in a cave in Bceotia. It was believed 
that he who entered the cave saw such sights that he never smiled again. 

11. Branchidae (bran'ki-de): A place on the coast of Ionia, where were a 
much esteemed oracle and temple of Apollo. The ruins of the grand 
temple still exist. One traveler says of it: " The columns, yet entire, are so 
exquisitely fine, the marble mass so vast and noble, that it is impossible, 
pemaps, to conceive greater beauty and majesty of ruin." 

13. Hammon : Ammon, or Jupiter Amnion, an Egyptian divinity, whose 
celebratnd oracle was in an oasis in the Lybian desert. This oracle was vis- 
ited by Alexander. 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AI>^D BABYLON". 25 

3. First he sent to make trial of all these whether 
they should be found to know the truth about a certain 
thing, purposing that if they should be so found he 
would send to them yet again and inquire whether he 
should take it in hand to make war against the Persians. 5 

4. Now he had given commandment to the messen- 
gers whom he sent to make trial of the oracles, that 
they should reckon the days diligently from the day 
whereon they set out from Sardis, and that on the 
hundredth day they should inquire of the oracles, say- lo 
ing, " What doth Croesus the son of Alyattes, king of 
Lydia, chance to be doing this day?" and that they 
should write down the words of the oracle and bring 
them back to him. 

5. Now what the other oracles answered no man 15 
knows; but at Delphi, so soon as the Lydians were 
come into the temple to inquire of the god, the Pythia, 
for so they call the priestess that uttereth the mind of 
the god, spake, saying — 

" I know the number of the sand,' 20 

I know tlie measures of tlie sea ; 
The dumb man's speech I understand, 

Though naught he say, 'tis clear to me. 
I smell a savor new and sweet ; 

Strange is the feast the Lydians keep ; 25 

Mingled in brazen caldron meet 

The tortoise flesh and flesh of sheep ; 
Around the burning embers glow, 
With brass above and brass below." 

6. These words the Lydians wrote down from the 30 
mouth of the Pythia, and so departed, and went their 
way to Sardis. The other messengers also came, bring- 
ing with them the oracles that had been delivered to 
them. Then the King opened each and read the writ- 



26 STOKIES OF CROESUS, CYRUS Al^D BABYLON". 

ing; and not one of them pleased him. But when he 
knew the answer that had been brought from Delphi, 
forthwith he prayed and received it with reverence, for 
he judged that there was no true oracle in the world 
5 save that of Delphi only, seeing that it had discovered 
the very thing that he was doing. 

7. For after that he had sent his messengers to the 
oracles, when the appointed day was come, he devised 
this device. He imagined something that could not, 

lo he thought, by any means be discovered; for he chopped 
up together the flesh of a tortoise and the flesh of a 
lamb, and cooked them himself in a brazen caldron, 
upon which he had put a lid of brass. 

8. This was the answer that came to Croesus from 
15 Delphi; but as to the oracle of Amphiaraiis, the answer 

that it made to the messengers when they had duly 
inquired of it no man knows, yet did Croesus think 
that this also was a true oracle. 

9. Here shall be told the story of Alcmseon of Athens, 
20 to whom Croesus sent bidding him come to Sardis, for 

that he had helped the King's messengers when they 
inquired of the god at Delphi, furthering their busi- 
ness with all diligence. And when Alcmaeon was come, 
the King" said to him that he should be permitted to 
25 go into his treasury, and take therefrom for himself all 
the gold that he could carry on his body. 

10. Then Alcmaeon prepared himself for this business. 
First he clothed himself with a tunic, in which he 
made a great fold for a pocket; and next he got him 

30 the widest and biggest boots that he could find, and so 
went into the treasury. And lighting on a heap of 
dust of gold he filled his boots with it as much as they 
would contain, even up to his knees; and also the fold 



STORIES OF CRGESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLON". 27 

of his tunic he filled with gold; also into his hair he put 
so much of the dust as it would contain. Other gold 
he took into his mouth, and so made his way out of the 
treasury, but scarcely could he drag his boots after him; 
and indeed he seemed like to anything rather than to 5 
a man, for his mouth was filled out and swollen beyond 
all a man^s semblance. 

11. And when Croesus saw him he laughed, and gave 
him all that gold and as much more. This was the be- 
ginning of the wealth of the house of Alcmseon. lo 

12. After this King Croesus sought to propitiate the 
god that was in Delphi with many and great sacrifices. 
For first he sacrificed three thousand beasts of all such 
as it is lawful to oifer to the Gods, and next he builded 
up a great pile of couches that were covered with gold 15 
and silver, and of cups of gold, and of purple garments 
and tunics, and set fire to the pile, for he thought that 
by so doing he should make the god a friend to him. 

13. And he gave commandment to the Lydians that 
they should sacrifice in like manner every one of them 20 
such things as they had. And when this sacrifice was 
ended, he melted a great store of gold, and made bricks 
of it. Of these the bigger sort were six hand-breadths 
in length, and the smaller three hand-breadths, and all 
of them a hand-breadth in height. 25 

14. There were one hundred and sixteen of these 
bricks in all, four of them being of pure gold, and 
weighing each one talent and half a talent, and the rest 
of gold that was mixed with alloy; these weighed two 
talents to the brick. Also he made the image of a lion 30 
of pure gold, ten talents in weight. This lion, when 

10. House of Alcmseon : This was a famous family of Athens, called 
after the founder Alcmceo7iidoe (alk-mie-on'i-de). 

31. The hon was the royal emblem of Lydia, and a lion's head was 
stamped on the Lydian coins. 



28 STORIES OF CKOESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLON. 

the temple of Delplii was burnt, fell down from the 
bricks (for it had been set up on them); and now it 
lieth in the treasury of the Corinthians, and weigheth 
seven talents and half a talent. 
5 15. When Croesus had finished casting these bricks, 
he sent them to Delphi and other things with them ; to 
wit, two very great mixing bowls, of gold the one, and 
of silver the other. The bowl of gold lieth now in the 
treasury of the Corinthians, being in weight four talents 

loand half a talent and twelve ounces. And the silver 
bowl lieth in the corner of the ante-chamber. It 
holdeth six hundred firkins; and the Delphians mix 
wine in it at the feast of the Showing of the 
Images. 

15 16. Also he sent four silver casks, that stand now in 
the treasury of the Corinthians, and two vessels for 
sprinkling water, of gold the one, and of silver the 
other. On the gold bowl are written these words : " This 
the Lacedaemonians offered to the god.^' 

20 17. But these words are not true, for a certain man 
of Delphi (whose name, though it be known, shall not 
be mentioned in this place) engraved them, thinking to 
please the Lacedagmonians. Yet the boy, through 
whose hand the water flows, is an offering of the Lace- 

25 dsemonians, but of the vessels themselves neither the 
one nor the other. 

18. Other offerings of no great account did Croesus 
send to Delphi. Yet of one must mention be made; 
to wit, the golden statue of a woman three cubits in 

30 height. This the men of Delphi affirm to be the like- 
ness of the breadcutter of King Croesus. Also the King 
offered to the god the necklace of his wife and her 



STOEIES OP CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLON". 29 

girdles also. He sent gifts likewise to the temple of 
Amphiaraiis. 

19. Now Croesus gave commandment to the Lydians 
that carried these offerings for him to Delphi and to 
the temple of Amphiaraiis, that they should inquire of 5 
the oracles whether or no he should make war against 
the Persians, and whether he should seek to gain for 
himself any allies that should help him. 

20. So when the Lydians that had been sent on this 
errand were come, they inquired of the oracles, saying, lo 
"Croesus, king of the Lydians, and of other nations, 
holding these to be the only truth-speaking oracles that 
are among men, sendeth to you gifts that are worthy of 
your wisdom, and would now inquire of you whether he 
shall make war against the Persians, and also in what 15 
nations he shall seek for allies for himself.^^ 

21. These are the things that the messengers of 
Croesus inquired of the oracles, and the two agreed 
together in their answers ; for first they said, " If Croesus 
make war against the Persians, he shall bring to the 20 
ground a great empire," and next they counseled him 
to find out who of the Greeks were the most powerful 
at that season, and to make them his allies. 

22. This answer rejoiced the King exceedingly, for 
he made sure that he should bring the empire of Cyrus 25 
and the Persians to the ground. Wherefore he sent 
again to Delphi, and gave to every man two gold pieces, 
having first inquired how many men there were in the 
city; for which bounty the people of ■^"Delphi gave in 
return to him and all other Lydians that they should 30 
have first approach to the oracle, and should be free of 

1. The rich gifts here enumerated were still in the temple treasuries in 
the time of Herodotus, and could be seen by visitors. 



30 STORIES OF CRCEStTS, CYHtJg AKl3 BABYLON. 

tribute, and should have the chief seat at feasts and 
games. Also that any man of Lydia might, if he so 
willed, be free of the city of Delphi. 

23. After he had bestowed this bounty on the men of 
5 Delphi, 'Croesus inquired of the oracle the third time; 
for now that he had assured himself that it spake the 
truth, he was instant in using it. Therefore he in- 
quired of it again; and this time he would fain know 
whether his kingdom should remain for many years. 
lo 24. To this the oracle answered these words — 

' ' Man of Lydia, wlien the mule 
O'er the Medians' land shall rule, 
Think of name and fame no more, 
Fly by Hermus' stony shore." 

15 And Croesus, when he heard these words, was yet more 
exceedingly delighted, for he said to himself, " Surely, 
now a mule shall never be king of the Medes in the 
place of a man. Wherefore this kingdom shall abide to 
me and my children after me for ever." 

2o 25. After this he inquired what city of the Greeks 
was the most powerful at that season; and he found 
that there were two cities excelling in strength ; to wit, 
Athens and Sparta, but that of these the city of Athens 
was much troubled by strife within itself, but that 

25 Sparta was prosperous exceedingly, and had of late 
years subdued unto itself the greater part of the island 
of Pelops, in which island it is. 

26. For these ^causes he sent messengers to Sparta 
with gifts, who spake after this manner, " Croesus, king 

30 of Lydia and of other nations, hath sent us, saying, 
' Men of Lacedaemon, the god, even Apollo, hath com- 

7. Instant in using; it: He made immediate, pressing use of it. 



STORIES Of CildlSUS, CtUVS knt) BABYL0]!T. 31 

manded me that I should make to myself friends of the 
Greeks, whomsoever I should find to be the strongest. 
'Now, therefore, seeing that I find you to be the chiefest 
people in Greece, I do the bidding of the oracle, and 
come to you, and. would have you for my friends and 5 
allies in all honesty and good faith/ " 

27. These words King Croesus spake by the mouth of 
his messengers. And the thing pleased the Lacedae- 
monians well, for they also had heard the words of the 
oracle; and they made a treaty with Croesus, and con- lo 
firmed their friendship and alliance with an oath. 

28. And indeed there had been certain kindnesses ' 
done to their city by King Croesus aforetime. For they 
had sent messengers to Sardis to buy gold for a certain 
statue that they would make; but when they sought to 15 
buy it, Croesus gave it to them for a gift. For this 
cause the Lacedaemonians made alliance with Croesus; 
also they were well pleased that he had chosen them 
out of all the Greeks to be his friends. 

29. vSo they made themselves ready to help him when 20 
he should call upon them; and they prepared a mixing 
bowl of brass, wrought on the outside of it with divers 
figures of beasts about the brim. This bowl held three 
hundred firkins; and the Lacedaemonians thought fit to 
give it to Croesus in return for the things that he had 25 
given to them. 

30. Now the bowl came never to Sardis; but as to 
why it came not some say one thing and some say 
another. The Lacedaemonians say indeed that when 
the men that had charge of it were near to the island of 30 
Samos, the Samians came forth with ships of war, and 
assailed them, and took away the bowl from them. 

31. But the men of Samos say that they who had 



32 STOHiES OV GUCESVS, CYKtS AKD BABYLO^N". 

charge of it, when they found that the time had passed, 
Sardis being now taken by Cyrus, sold the bowl in 
Samos, and that certain persons bought it and offered it 
for an offering in the temple of Here. Perchance the 
5 truth of the matter is this, that the men sold it indeed, 
yet affirmed when they were returned to Sparta that the 
Samians had taken it by force. And this is the story of 
the bowl. 

32. After these things Croesus marched with a great 
loarmy into the land of Cappadocia, not reading the 

oracle aright, but hoping that he should bring to the 
ground the power of Cyrus and the Persians. And 
while he was yet making preparations for war there 
came to him a certain man of Lydia whose name was 
15 Sandanis. The man had been before accounted wise, 
but thenceforth had such renown for wisdom among 
the Lydians as had none beside. 

33. The man spake thus, "0 King, the men against 
whom thou art preparing to make war have tunics of 

20 leather, and all their other garments also are of leather, 
and for food they have not what they would but what 
they can get, and the country wherein they dwell is 
rocky and barren. Also they use not wine, but drink 
water only; nor have they figs to eat, nor indeed any 

25 good thing. 

34. " If therefore, King, thou shalt conquer these 
men, what wilt thou take from them, for indeed they 
have nothing. But if they should prevail over thee, 
think what good things thou wilt lose. For when they 



12. This famous king is known as "Cyrus the Elder" and "Cyrus the 
Great." In the Bible he is called Koresh. He reigned from 559 B.C. to 5^9 
B.C., and is regarded as the founder of the Persian Empire. The Cyrus 
whose famous rebellion is desciibed iu Xenophon's Anabasis is known as 
" Cyrus the Younger." 



STORIES 01' CRCEStJS, CYRUS AKD BABYLON. 33 

have once tasted our good tilings they will hold fast by 
them, nor wilt thou drive them away. As for me, I 
thank the Gods that they have not put it into the 
hearts of the Persians to march against the land of 
Lydia.^' For it was so that the Persians before they 5 
conquered the Lydians had no good things of their 
own. For all that Sandanis prevailed not with King 
Croesus to turn him from his purpose. 



CHAPTER III. 

KING CRCESUS IS DEFEATED AND THE CITY OF SARDIS 

IS TAKEN. 

1. King Crcesus, being steadfastly purposed to make 
war with the Persians, marched into the land of the lo 
Cappadocians, wherein is the river Halys, being the 
boundary between his kingdom and the kingdom of 
Cyrus. Now the reasons that King Croesus had for 
making war were these. 

2. First, he desired to enlarge the borders of his 15 
dominion, adding thereto the land of the Persians ; and 
next, he had it in his heart to avenge upon Cyrus his 
sister^s husband Astyages ; for Cyrus had subdued him, 
and taken from him his kingdom, as shall be told here- 
after. 20 

3. But how it came to pass that Croesus was brother- 
in-law to Astyages shall be told at this present. Cer- 
tain families of the wandering Scythians, being at vari- 
ance with their own people, fled into the land of the 
Medes, the king of the Medes in those days being Cyax- 25 



34 STORIES 01* CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLOK. 

ares, the son of Phraortes. This Oyaxares at the first 
dealt kindly with these Scythians, as being men who 
were suppliants for his grace. And indeed he made so 
much of them that he put with them certain children 
5 who should learn their language and the art of shooting 
with the bow, in which they excel. 

4. Now the Scythians were wont to go hunting every 
day, and failed not to bring home venison ; but after a 
while, on a certain day it chanced that they brought 

10 home nothing. And when King Oyaxares saw them 
returning with empty hands he was wroth with them, 
and entreated them shamefully, being indeed a man of 
violent temper. 

5. Then the Scythians bethought them how they 
15 might avenge themselves for this dishonor ; whereupon 

they took one of the children whom they were teaching, 
and cut him into pieces, and dressed the flesh as they 
were wont to dress the venison which they took in 
hunting, and gave it to the King as if it were some 
20 wild beast which they had slain. 

6. But so soon as they had given it they fled to 
Alyattes at Sardis ; and Oyaxares and his guests eat of 
the meat which had been prepared in this fashion. Now 
when the King heard how the Scythians had dealt with 

25 him, he sent to Alyattes and demanded that they should 
be given over to him for punishment, but Alyattes 
would not. 

7. After this there was war between the Lydians and 
the Medes for five years ; and in this war the Lydians 

30 oftentimes had the advantage, and the Medes also often- 
times. But when they had fought against each other 

12. Entreated, etc.: Treated, or dealt with them shamefully. This is the 
old use of the word. 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLON". 35 

with equal fortune for five years, it so befell tliat in the 
sixth year, when they joined battle for the first time, 
the day became dark as the night. And this change of 
day into night Thales, of Miletus had foretold, and in- 
deed had appointed for it the selfsame year wherein it 5 
happened. 

8. But when the Lydians and the Medes saw what 
had befallen, they were the more eager to make peace 
the one with the other ; and they that brought about 
this agreement were Syennesis of Oilicia, and Laby- lo 
netus of Babylon. These caused that the two kings 
should make a treaty the one with the other, and should 
confirm it with an oath. 

9. Moreover, they made a covenant that Alyattes 
should give his daughter Aryenis to the son of Oyaxares 15 
to wife, and this son was Astyages ; for they knew that 
such treaties stand not firm without there be some bond 
by which they that make them are bound. As for these 
nations they make oaths in the same fashion as do the 
Greeks ; only they add this, that they make a cutting 20 
upon their arms, and they lick up the blood each man 
from the arm of the other. 

10. When Croesus with his army was come to the 
river Halys, he was in great doubt how he should cross 
it. But Thales of Miletus, who chanced to be in the 25 
camp of the King^ contrived a device by which it was 
done. For he caused that the river, which before had 

4. Thales (tha'leez :) Thales was one of the "seven sages *" of Greece and 
one of the founders of the study of philosopViy and mathematics. It is 
thought that he obtained his Itnowledge of mathematics and astronomy 
from the Egyptians; but that he could predict an ecUpse is matter of much 
doubt. The Medes and Lydians were not as far advanced in scientific 
knowledge as the Greelfs, and were therefore easily terrified by an eclipse. 

10. Syennesis (si-en'ne-sis): This was the common name or title of the 
kings of Cilicia, like the title Fharaoh in Egypt. 

10. Liabynetus (lab-i-ne'tus): The Greek name of Nebuchadnezzar and of 
Belsliazzar. 



36 STOBIES OF CECESUS, CYEUS AKD BABYLOiT. 

flowed on the left hand of the army, should flow upon 
the right hand. 

11. And this he did by digging a deep ditch into 
which the river was turned before it came to the place 

5 where the army was encamped ; and this, being made 
of the shape of a crescent, was carried in the rear of the 
army, and so was brought again into the river. Thus 
was the stream of the Halys divided between the river 
and the ditch; and being divided it could easily be 
lo crossed. 

12. Some stories say that the river was wholly dried 
up, all the water flowing into the ditch. But this is 
altogether incredible, for if the whole river had been 
turned into the ditch, how could King Croesus with his 

15 army have crossed it when he returned from the battle 
with Cyrus to Sardis ? 

13. And indeed it is scarcely to be believed that the 
river was so turned, though this story be commonly 
told among the Greeks, who say that there were no 

20 bridges over the Halys in those days, but rather it is to 
be believed that there were bridges, and that the King 
led his army across by them. 

14. When Croesus had crossed the Halys he came to 
a city of Cappadocia that was called Pterium; and this 

25 Pterium was the biggest and strongest city of those 
parts, lying as near as may be over against Sinope, 
which is on the Black Sea. This city Croesus took by 
a;ssault, and sold all the dwellers therein for slaves, and 
took also all the towns thereof, and removed out of the 

30 place where they dwelt all the people, though indeed 
they had done him no wrong. 

26. Sinope rsi-no'pe): Still an important city. The ancient town has been 
completely ruined, and the modern town built of its fragments. 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYEUS AND BABYLON. 37 

15. AVhen Cyrus heard that King Croesus was come 
against him, he also gathered his army together and 
went to meet him, taking with him as many as dwelt 
on the way by which he marched. But before that he 
set out he sent out heralds to the lonians, bidding them 
revolt from Croesus, whom indeed they served unwill- 
ingly ; but the lonians would not hearken to him. 

16. Cyrus therefore came up and pitched his camp 
over against the camp of the Lydians, which was near 




SCULPTURES FROM PTERIUM. 



to the city of Pterium ; and after a while the two kings lo 
joined battle. And the battle waxed hot, and many 
were slain on both sides, but neither gained the advan- 
tage ; and when it was night they separated perforce. 
17. But Croesus was ill content with the number of his 
army, for it was less by many thousands than the army 15 
of Cyrus. For which reason on the next day, seeing that 
Cyrus came not forth from his camp to assail him, he 
departed with all haste, returning to Sardis, for he had 
it in his mind to call the Egyptians to his help, accord- 
ing to his covenant with them, for he had made alliance 39 



38 STORIES OF CRCESUS^ CYRUS AIS^D BABYLOK. 

with Amasis king of Egypt before he made alliance 
with the Lacedaemonians. 

18. Also he would send for help to the men of Baby- 
lon, for with these also he had alliance ; and in those 

5 days Labynetns was king of Babylon. Lastly he sent a 
summons to the Lacedaemonians that they should send 
an army to him at the appointed time. For his pur- 
pose was that he should gather together all these his 
allies, and should also collect as great an army as might 
10 be of his own people, and so, when the winter was past, 
and the spring was come again, should march against 
the Persians. 

19. Having therefore these thoughts in his heart, so 
soon as he came to Sardis he sent heralds to Babylon, 

15 and to Egypt, and to Sparta, saying that they should 
send each of them an army to him at Sardis in the fifth 
month from that time ; but as for the soldiers that he 
had hired with money, these he sent away, suffering 
them to be altogether scattered, for it did not so much 

20 as enter his thoughts that Cyrus, seeing that he had 
not done more than fight with him on equal terms, 
would march against Sardis. 

20. Now while he was busy considering these things 
there befell this marvel, that the whole space before the 

25 city was filled with serpents, and that so soon as the 
serpents were seen there the horses, leaving their ac- 
customed pasture, fell to and devoured them. This 
thing Croesus held to be a portent, as indeed it was ; 
and straightway he sent messengers to Telmessus, where 

30 there are those that interpret such things. 



1. Amasis (a-ma'sis): During this king's reign the Greeks and Egyptians 
were brought into close and friendly intercourse with each other. 

29. Telmessus (tel-mes'sus): A city in Caria (ka'ri-a), celebrated for the 
great Etumber of soothsayers among its inhabitants, 



STOKIES OF CTiCESUS^ CYRUS AND BABYLON. 39 

21. But these messengers, thougli indeed they went 
to Telmessiis and heard from the interpreters what the 
meaning of this portent might be, were not able to 
show the matter to the King ; for before that they 
came back to Sardis King Croesus had been vanquished 5 
and taken prisoner. 

22. But the meaning of the portent according to the 
interpreters of Telmessus was this, " Let Croesus look to 
see an army of strangers in his land ; and let him 
know that when this army is come to his land it will lo 
subdue the inhabitants thereof ; for the serpent is a 
son of the land, but the horse is a stranger and an 
enemy." 

23. This was the answer of the interpreters of Tel- 
messus ; and they made it when Croesus was already 15 
vanquished, but they knew nothing of that which had 
befallen Sardis and the king thereof. 

24. But so soon as Croesus had departed after the 
battle at Pterium, Cyrus, knowing that he had it in his 
thought to scatter his army, judged that he should do 20 
well if he marched straightway against Sardis before 
that the Lydians could gather themselves together 
against him a second time. And this thing he did 
without delay. For he marched into the land of Lydia 
with all haste ; nor did Croesus receive any message of 25 
his coming before that he saw the King himself with 
his army. 

25. Then was Croesus sorely perplexed, for the matter 
had turned out wholly against his expectations. Never- 
theless he took heart and led out the Lydians to battle. 30 
And indeed in those days there was not in the whole 
land of Asia any nation that was more stalwart and 
valiant than the nation of the Lydians. The people 



40 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLOK 

were accustomed to figlit from horseback, carrying long 
spears, nor were there any horsemen more skillful. 

26. The Lydians therefore and the Persians were ar- 
rayed one against the other in the plain that lieth be- 

5 fore Sardis, and this plain is very great and wholly bare 
of trees. But when Cyrus saw the array of the Lydians 
he was afraid of their horsemen, so many and well 

. equipped were they. 

27. Then a certain Mede, Harpagus by name, coun- 
10 seled him what he should do, and Cyrus hearkened to 

him. He took all the camels that followed his army, 
carrying victuals and baggage, and taking their burdens 
from them, set riders upon them, arming all of them 
as horsemen. And having so furnished the camels, he 
15 commanded that they should go before his army against 
the horsemen of Croesus. And behind the camels he 
put the foot soldiers, and behind the foot soldiers the 
horsemen. 

28. And when the whole army was drawn up in 
20 battle array, he straightway commanded them that they 

should slay all else of the Lydians who might fall in 
their way, but that Croesus himself they should not 
slay, not even if he should defend himself when they 
laid hands upon him. 

25 29. Now the reason why he set the camels in array 
against the horsemen was this. The horse is sore afraid 
of the camel, and cannot endure to look upon the shape 
of the beast or to smell the smell. For this cause there- 
fore he used this device, that the King of the Lydians 

30 might find no gain from his horsemen, by whom he 
hoped that he should win a great victory. 

30. And indeed so soon as ever the two armies had 
joined battle, and the horses smelled the smell of the 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLOl!^. 41 

camels and saw them, they turned and fled. So was 
Croesus utterly disappointed of his hope. 

31. Nevertheless the Lydians bare themselves bravely; 
for when they saw what had befallen them, they leapt 
from their horses and fought with the Persians on foot. 5 
But after a while, when many had been slain on both 
sides, the Lydians were driven into their city, and were 
besieged therein by the Persians. 

32. Now it seemed to Croesus that the siege would be 
of many months. Therefore he sent again other mes- lo 
sengers to his allies saying that, whereas he had before 
bidden them to assemble themselves at Sardis in the 
fifth month, there was now need that they should come 
with all the speed that might be, for that the King was 
besieged. J5 

33. Now of the other allies nothing need be said ; 
but as to the Lacedaemonians, when the messengers of 
Croesus came to them, they were at variance with their 
neighbors, the men of Argos. Notwithstanding, they 
made all haste to come to the help of the King ; and 20 
were indeed ready to set forth, with ships duly fur- 
nished, when there came to them tidings that the city 
of Sardis was taken and Croesus led into captivity. 
When they heard this they changed their purpose and 
went not ; nevertheless they thought it a grievous 25 
thing. 

34. Now the taking of Sardis was in this wise. On 
the fourteenth day after the beginning of the siege, 
Cyrus sent horsemen throughout his army, saying that 
he would give great gifts to the man who should first 30 
mount upon the wall. 

35. But when the whole army had attacked the city, 
and prevailed nothing, a certain Mardian, whose name 



42 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLOK. 

was Hyroeades, desisted not as did the others, but made 
his attempt on a certain part of the citadel where no 
sentinels were set. And none were set because no man 
had any fear that the citadel could be taken from this 
5 quarter, for the place was very steep. And this indeed 
was the only part of the citadel to which Meles, who 
had been king of Sardis in old time, had not caused the 
lion^s cub to be carried. 

36. Now the story of the lion^s cub is this. A woman 
10 in Sardis brought forth a young lion, and the inter- 
preters of Telmessus said, " If thoii carry the young lion 
round about its wall, no man shall take Sardis." So 
Meles caused them to carry the cub round about the 
wall wherever it could be attacked, but of this place 

15 he took no account, so steep was it and hard of ac- 
cess. 

37. Now Hyroeades had seen on the day before that a 
certain Lydian had come down by this place after a hel- 
met that had rolled down from the top, and had fetched 

20 the helmet, and so returned. And having seen this 
thing he bare it in mind; and the next day he climbed 
up the same way, and many Persians after him. 

38. So Sardis was taken and all the city plundered. 
As to the King himself, there befell this thing that shall 

25 now be told. He had a son, of whom indeed mention 
has been made before. A goodly youth he was in all 
other respects, but he was dumb. Now in the days of 
his prosperity Croesus, having done many other things 
that the youth might be healed of his infirmity, sent 

30 also messengers to the oracle of Delphi to inquire of 
the god. 



1. Hyroeades (hi-re'a-deez): The Mardi or Amardi wei'e a powerful, war- 
like tribe from near the Caspian Sea. 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS A^B BABYLON. 43 

39. To these the Pythia made answer in these words — 

" king of many lands, the thought 
Thou keepest in thy heart is vain : 
The help with many prayers besought 

Think not to ask of heaven again; g 

For ill the day and full of fear 
That first thy dumb child's voice shall hear. " 

40. Now it came to pass that when the Persians were 
taking the citadel, one of them made as if he would 
have slain Croesus, not knowing who he was. And lo 
Croesus, though he saw the man coming against him, 
heeded him not, so great was his trouble; for he thought 
that it would be well for him to die. 

41. But the youth, that had been dumb all his days, 
when he saw the Persian about to strike, by reason of 15 
his fear and of the instant necessity of the thing, cried 
out, saying, "Fellow, slay not King Croesus.'^ Thus 
did he speak for the first time; but afterward, for the 
rest of his life, he spake even as other men. 



CHAPTER IV. 

CRCESUS IS SAVED FROM DEATH. OF LYDIA, THE LYD- 
lAi^S, Al^D OF CERTAIK GREEKS THAT DWELT IIT 
ASIA. 

1. So the Persians gained possession of the city of 20 
Sardis. And Croesus himself they took alive, and led 
him to Cyrus their king; and all the years that he had 
reigned were fourteen; fourteen also was the number of 
the days for whicli his city was besieged. And thus 



44 STOKIES OF CRCESUS^ CYRUS AND BABYLOK. 

was the prophecy of the oracle fulfilled, that he should 
bring to an end a great empire; to wit, his own. 

2. Then Cyrus commanded that they should build a 
great pile of wood, and should set Croesus thereon bound 
5 in chains, and with him fourteen men of Lydia, and 
burn them with fire. But whether in so doing he 
thought to offer the first-fruits of his victory to some 
god, or was performing a yow which he had made, or, 
having heard that Croesus had been a great worshipper 

10 of the Gods, desired now to see whether any god would 
come and help him in his need, cannot certainly be 
known. 

3. But when Croesus stood upon the pile, and the fire 
had now been put to it, there came into his thoughts, 

15 notwithstanding the great strait wherein he stood, that 
the saying of Solon was indeed true, and spoken by in- 
spiration of the Grods, when he said that none of living 
men might be counted happy. And when he thought 
of this he cried out with a loud voice, having before 

20 kept silence altogether, "Solon, Solon, Solon!" which 
when Cyrus heard, he bade the interpreters ask of 
Croesus who was this that he called upon. 

4. But when the interpreters asked this thing, for a 
time Croesus kept silence, but afterward, for indeed he 

25 was constrained to speak, made this answer, " He is one 
with whom it would be better than many possessions for 
all rulers to have speech." Then, as no man could 
understand these words, they inquired of him again 
what they might signify. 

30 5. And as they were earnest with him, and would not 
leave him in peace, he told them how there had come to 
his court one Solon, a man of Athens, who, having seen 
ril Jiis wealth and prosperity, had made little account 



STOEIES OF ORCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLON. 45 

of it ; and how that there had befallen him all that this 
same Solon had said, though indeed the man spake not 




CROESUS ON THE FUNERAL PILE. 



[O 



of him in particular but of all mortal men, and espe- 
cially of those who judged themselves to be hapj)y. 

6. This was the answer which Croesus made; and 5 
now the pile had been lighted, and the extremities were 
on fire. But when Cyrus heard from the interpreters 
the words of Croesus, he repented him of his purpose, 
bethinking him how that he, being but a mortal man, 
was now giving another man that had aforetime been 
not less prosperous than himself to be burned with fire, 
and fearing lest there should come upon him vengeance 
for such a deed, and considering also that there was 
nothing sure in human affairs. 

7. For which reasons he bade them that stood by 15 
quench the fire and cause Croesus and the men that 
were with him to descend from the pile. But these, 
with all their striving, could not prevail over the fire. 
Then Croesus — for this is the story of the Lydians — 
when he saw that Cyrus had repented him of his pur- 20 



46 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLON". 

pose, and that every one was striving to quench the fire 
but could not, cried with a loud voice to Apollo, be- 
seeching the god that if he had ever made an oilering 
that was to his liking, he would deliver him from his 
5 present peril. 

8. This he besought of the god with many tears, and 
lo! of a sudden, though the day before had been fine 
and calm, there came a great storm with a most vehe- 
ment rain, which quenched the fire. Then Cyrus knew 

lo of a surety that Croesus was a good man and dear to the 
Gods. And having caused him to descend from the 
pile, he asked him, saying, " Tell me, Croesus, what man 
persuaded thee to lead thy army against my land, and 
to make me thine enemy, having been before thy 

15 friend ?" 

9. Then Croesus answered, " This I did, King, for 
thy good fortune, but to my loss. Nor was it a man 
that did this, but the gods of the Greeks, who encour- 
aged me to make war against thee. For surely no man 

20 is so foolish that of his own will he should choose war 
instead of peace; for in peace the children bury their 
fathers, but in war the fathers bury their children. But 
these things have fallen out as the Gods would have 
them.^^ 

25 10. When he had said these things Cyrus bade them 
loose his chains, and put him near to himself, and mar- 
veled when he regarded him, both he and the Persians 
that were with him. And Croesus said nothing, think- 
ing about many things. But after a while, when he 

30 saw the Persians plundering the city of the Lydians, he 
turned him to King Cyrus, and said, " Is it allowed to 
me, King, to speak that which is in my heart, or 



STORIES Of CRCESUS, GYRUS AKB BABYLOK. 47 

shall I be silent ?" And Cyrus bade him be of courage 
and speak what he would. 

11. Then Croesus asked him, " AVhat is it that this 
great multitude is so busy about T' "They are spoiling 
thy city," said Cyrus, " and carrying olf thy posses- 5 
sions.'' " Nay/' said Croesus, " this is not my city that 
they spoil, nor my possessions that they carry off; for 
I have now no share or lot in these things. But the 
things that they plunder are thine." 

12. Then Cyrus took heed of the words which Croesus to 
had spoken to him; and bidding all others leaye him, 
he asked him again what he thought of these matters. 

13. Then Croesus made answer, "The Gods have 
made me thy servant ; wherefore I count it right to tell 
thee if I perceive aught that thou seest not. The Per- 15 
sians are haughty by nature, but they are poor. And if 
thou sufferest them to plunder in this fashion and to 
gain for themselves great wealth, be sure that this will 
befall thee. That man among them who shall get the 
most will be he that will rebel against thee. If there- 20 
fore my words please thee, do according to my bidding. 
Set spearmen as guards at all the gates, and let them 
take away from all that come out the things that they 
carry with them, saying at the same time, ' We must 
:needs give tithe to Zeus of all these things.' And they 25 
will not hate thee as if thou didst take the things from 
them by force, but will judge thee to do that which is 
right, and will give them up willingly." 

14. When Cyrus heard these words he was pleased 
with them beyond measure, judging them to have been 30 
wisely said. So when he had commended Croesus for 
his wisdom, and had given commandment to the spear- 
men according to these words, he said, " Thou hast it in 



48 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS Aiq^D BABYLOK. 

thy heart to do good deeds and to say good words as be- 
fitteth a king; ask therefore some boon of me which 
thou wouldest have granted to thee straightway." 

15. Then said Crrosus, " King, thou canst not please 
5 me more, than if thou wilt suffer me to send to the god 
of the Greeks, whom I have honored with gifts more 
than all Gods beside, and to lay these fetters before 
him, and ask him whether it is his custom to deceive 
them that do him honor." 

lo 16. And when Cyrus would know why he desired to 
put this question accusing the god, Croesus set before 
him the whole matter, both that which he had asked, 
and the answer of the god, and the offerings which he 
had made, and how he had made war against the Per- 

15 sians, being encouraged thereto by the god. 

17. And when he had ended this tale he besought 
Cyrus again that he would suffer him to reproach the 
god with these things. And Cyrus, when he heard it, 
laughed and said, " This request I grant thee, Croesus, 

20 as I will grant thee everything that thou shalt ask me 
hereafter." 

18. And when Croesus heard these words he sent cer- 
tain Lydians to Delphi, and bade them lay the fetters on 
the threshold of the temple and inquire of the god 

25 whether he was not ashamed to have encouraged Croesus 
by his oracles to march against the Persians, thinking 
that he should overthrow the emjoire of Cyrus, of which 
undertaking these, the fetters to wit, were the first- 
fruits, and whether it was the custom of the god of the 

30 Greeks to be unfaithful. 

19. And when the Lydians did as had been com- 
manded them, the Pythia made this answer, " That 
which is fated it is by no means possible to avoid, not 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLOM. 49 

even to a god. And Croesus hath suffered for the trans- 
gressions of his forefather in the fifth generation, who, 
being a body-guard of the king, slew his master, a 
woman helping him with her craft, and took his honor 
to himself, though he had no part or lot in it. 5 

20. " And Apollo was very earnest with the Eates 
that they should not bring this evil upon Sardis in the 
days of Croesus, but that they should bring it in his son's 
days. Yet could he not prevail. Nevertheless all that 
the Fates granted to him that did he for Croesus, delay- lo 
ing the taking of Sardis for the space of three years; 
for let Croesus be sure of this, that the taking of Sardis 

is later by three years than had been ordained at the 
first. Also when he was in peril of being burnt with 
fire the god helped him and delivered him. 15 

21. "And as for the oracle, Croesus doth not right to 
blame him, for Apollo foretold to him that, if he should 
make war against the Persians, he should bring to the 
ground a great empire. If therefore he had been well 
advised in this matter, he should have sent again to in- 20 
quire of the god whether his own empire or the empire 
of Cyrus were thus signified. 

22. " But seeing that he understood not the thing 
which was said, nor inquired a second time, let him 
blame himself. And as to that which Apollo answered 25 
him when he inquired of him the last time, speaking of 

a mule, this also Croesus understood not. For Cyrus 
was this mule, being born of parents that were not of 
the same race, his mother also being of the more noble 



6. Fates: The Fates, or Destinies, were goddesses who were believed to 
preside over the birth, life, and death of human beings. There names were 
Clotho (klo'-tho), Lachesis (liak'e-sis), and Atropos (at'ro-pos); they are rep- 
resented as spinning the thread of life from the distaff. Find, if possible, 
Michael Angelo's picture of the Fates, or Parcse. 



50 STOEIES OF CR(ESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLOK. 

stock and his father of the worse. For she was a woman 
of the Medes and the daughter of King Astyages, and 
he was a Persian and no king, but a servant that mar- 
ried the daughter of his master." 
5 23. This was the answer that the priestess gave to the 
Lydians; and when Croesus heard it he confessed that 
he had erred and not the god. 

24. In this way did the empire of the Lydians come 
to an end. These Lydians were the first that found 

lo out the coining of gold and silver. Also they were the 
first traders. And they say of themselves that they first 
made the games at which they and the Greeks are used 
to play. Also they declare that in the days when these 
games were first made by them they colonized the land 

15 of Tyrsenia, which is in Italy. 

25. And their story of this matter is this. In the 
days of At37's the son of Manes there was a sore famine 
throughout the whole land of Lydia. And for a while 
the Lydians were instant in prayers to the Gods that 

20 they would help them ; but, as the famine ceased not, 
they sought for remedies contriving some one thing 
and some another. 

26. In those days they devised dice-playing and ball- 
playing and all other kinds of games that men use, save 

25 chess only, for this the Lydians say not that they de- 
vised. And their manner with the games was this. 
One day they would play continually, that they might 
not have any thought for food, and the next day they 
would leave' off from their playing and eat. 



17. Manes (ma'neez): Manes was kin^ of the Maeonians ; his grandson, 
the son of Atys (a'tis). was Lydus (li'dus), after whom the Mseonians were 
called Lydians. Tyrsenus (tir-se'nus), or Tyrrhenus, was the brother of 
Lydus. 

24. Ball-playing : Plato tells us that the game of ball was invented 
Egypt, where it was certainly used as early as 2000 B.C. 



in § 

J 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLON". 51 

27. In this fashion they endured for the space of eigh- 
teen years. But as the evil abated not but rather grew 
worse, the King divided the people of Lydia into two 
partSj making them cast lots, that the one part should 
remain in the land, and the other part should go forth 5 
to some other country. And that part which drew the 
lot for remaining he took to himself, but that part 
which should go forth he gave to his son, whose name 
was Tyrsenus. 

28. These men went down to the seacost, to Smyrna, 10 
and there built them ships, into which they put all 
things that they needed for a voyage, and so set sail, 
seeking for livelihood and a country wherein they might 
dwell; in which search, having passed by many lands, 
they came to the land of the Umbri, and there built for 15 
themselves cities, in the which they dwell to this day. 
Also they changed their name, calling themselves no 
more Lydians but Tyrsenians, after the name of the 
King's son, Tyrsenus, who had led them forth. 

29. Now the men of Ionia and ^olia, so soon as they 20 
knew that the Lydians had been subdued by the Per- 
sians, sent messengers to Cyrus, saying that they would 
fain be his servants after the same manner in which 
they had been the servants of Croesus. 

30. But when they had made their oration to him he 25 
spake to them for an answer this parable. " A certain 
flute-player, seeing fishes in the sea, played his flute to 
them, thinking that they would come forth from the 
sea on to the land at his playing. But when they would 
not do as he had hoped, he took a net, and cast it, and 30 
having encompassed therewith a great multitude of 
fishes, he drew it to the land. And when he saw them 
that they flapped their tails upon the ground, he said, 



52 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLOK. 

' Cease this dancing, for ye would not come out and 
dance upon the land when I piped to you/ " 

31. This said Cyrus because in the beginning of the 
war he had sent to these men bidding them rebel against 

5 Croesus, and they would not, but now when they knew 
that he had gotten himself the victory, they were ready 
to be his servants. For this cause he was very wroth 
with them; and when the men of Ionia and ^olia 
heard his words, they knew that he purposed evil against 
lo them, and began to prepare themselves accordingly. 

32. First they sent messengers to Sparta to ask for 
help; who, when they were come, chose Pythermus, a 
man of Phocaea, to speak for them. This Pythermus, 
having clad himself in purple, which he did that all the 

15 Spartans might come together to see him, stood up in 
the assembly, and told his business. But the Spartans 
consented not to help; only after that the messengers 
had departed they sent certain men in a ship of fifty 
oars, who should see for themselves how things were 

20 with Cyrus and the lonians. 

33. The chief of these men, a certain Lacrines, went 
up to Sard is, and declared to Cyrus the pleasure of the 
Lacedaemonians, that he should not harm any city of 
the Greeks, for that they would not suffer it. But when 

25 Cyrus heard these words he inquired of certain Greeks 
that were with him, what manner of men and how 
many in number these Lacedaemonians might be that 
they laid such commands upon him. 

34. And when he heard he said to Lacrines, " I re- 
3ogard not at all the folk who have a set place in the 

midst of their city whither they assemble and forswear 
themselves and deceive each other. Surely, if it be well 
with me, all that the lonians have suffered they shall 



STORIES OF CEOESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLON. 53 

suffer." Cyrus said this reproaching the Greeks be- 
cause they have markets wherein they buy and sell, for 
the Persians use not to do any such thing. 

35. After this Cyrus departed, and took Croesus with 
him; and over Sardis and the Lydians he made a cer- 5 
tain Persian, named Tabalus, governor, but the charge 
of the gold he gave to Pactyas, a man of Lydia. But 
Pactyas took the gold, and having hired soldiers be- 
sieged Tabalus in the citadel of Sardis. 

36. When tidings of these things were brought to 10 
Cyrus as he journeyed eastward, he changed not his 
purpose, having weightier things in hand, but sent Ma- 
zares a Mede with a part of the army to deal with the 
Lydians and lonians. Of whose coming when Pactyas 
heard he escaped from the citadel of Sardis and fled to 15 
Cumae. Whereupon Mazares sent messengers to Cumse, 
bidding the inhabitants deliver up the enemy of the 
King. 

37. But the men of Cumae doubted what they should 
do, and sent messengers to inquire of the god in Bran- 20 
chidae of Miletus ; to whom the god answered that they 
should deliver up Pactyas. But when this answer was 
brought back, and the people were now ready to deliver 
him up, the thing pleased not one of the chief men, 
Aristodicus by name, who persuaded the men of Cumae 25 
that they should send yet again and inquire of the god 
by the hand of other messengers. 

38. So they sent other messengers, among whom was 

3. Use not to do : Are not in the habit of doing. The Persians of the 
nobler class would neither buy nor sell at all, since they would be supplied 
by their dependents and through presents with all that they required for 
the common puiposes of life. Only those of the lower riink would buy at 
shops, which were not allowed in tlie Forum, or public place of meeting. 

7. Pactyas (pak'ti-as): Pactyas was charged by Cyrus to collect the 
treasure of the kingdom and bring it after him. 



54 STORIES OF CECESUS, CYEUS AND BABYLOl!^. 

Aristodicus himself. Wlien they were come to the 
oracle, Aristodicus, being spokesman for the rest, spake, 
saying, " King, there came to us a certain Pactyas, a 
man of Lydia, flying from the Persians, who were ready 
5 to put him to death. And now these Persians will have 
us deliver him to them. But we, though we fear them, 
are yet loath to deliver the man to death, and so are 
come asking thee what we should do." 

39. To this the god answered again that they should 
10 deliver him up. But when Aristodicus heard this he 

went about the temple taking the young birds out of 
their nests, for many birds had built therein. As he 
did this there came a voice out of the shrine, " What 
doest thou, thou wicked man, taking these that have 
15 sought sanctuary with me ?" 

40. Then Aristodicus answered, " King, thou in- 
deed defendest them that seek sanctuary with thee, but 
thou biddest the men of Cumae deliver up this suppliant." 
And the god answered, " Yea, I bade you do this thing, 

20 that so ye might perish utterly, and might not ask such 
ill questions of the god any more." 

41. When the men of Cumse heard these words they 
neither were willing to deliver him up nor to keep him, 
and so be besieged. Therefore they sent him to Mity- 

25 lene. But when they knew that the men of Mitylene 
were preparing to deliver him up for a reward, they 
sent a ship and took him to Chios; but the Ohians de- 
livered him up to the Persians, receiving for him a cer- 
tain place called Atarnes, which is in Mysia, over against 

30 Lesbos. And to this day Atarnes is accursed, and the 
Chians use not any of its fruits for sacrifice. 

42. After this Tabalus, having subdued certain cities 
of Ionia, died, and Cyrus sent Harpagus a Mede, of 



STOEIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLOK. 55 

wnom there is miicli to be said hereafter, to be captain 
in his room. And the first city which Harpagus made 
ready to attack was Phocsea. Now the men of Phocsea 
were mighty sailors, and were the first of the Greeks to 
make long voyages, visiting, besides other places. Tar- 5 
tessus, which is in Spain. 

43. Now in Tartessus they found a certain king whose 
name was Arganthonius. He was a very old man of 
sixscore years, and he had reigned in Tartessus fourscore 
years. This Arganthonius dealt very kindly with the lo 
Phocaeans, and when he knew that the power of the 
Medes waxed great in Asia, gave them much money that 
they might build them a wall; which wall indeed they 
built of great stones well fitted together. 

44. Now when Harpagus was come to Phoc^a, he 15 
sent messengers bidding them submit themselves to 
Cyrus; and he said that it would suffice if they would 
throw down one battlement on their wall, and set apart 
one house in their city. But the men of Phocsea asked 
for one day that they might deliberate, and would have 20 
Harpagus take his army from before their city for so 
long. 

45. Then said Harpagus, " I know well what ye pur- 
pose to do, yet shall ye have the day.'^ And he took 
his army from before the city. Then the Phocseans 25 
launched their ships, and put therein their wives and 
children and their goods, and all the images from the 
temples, and all the offerings, save such as were of 
brass or stone, or pictures; and having done this they 
sailed to Chios; and the Persians took Phocgea, being 30 
deserted of its inhabitants. 

5. Tartessus : The same as Tarsus and Tarshish, a colony founded very 
early by the Phoenicians, near modern Cadiz. 



56 STORIES or CECESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLOi^. 

46. But the Phocseans would fain have bought cer- 
tain islands of the people of Chios, but these would not 
sell them, fearing lest they should suffer in trading. 
Then they sailed to Cyrnus, where twenty years before 

5 they had built a city. But first they sailed back to 
Phocaea and slew the garrison which Harpagus had set 
there to keep it; and having slain the garrison, they 
threw an anvil of iron into the sea, and sware that they 
would not return to the city till they should see the 
lo anvil floating on the water. 

47. Yet, while they were voyaging to Cyrnus, half 
and more repented them of their purpose, and braize 
their oath, and went back to Phocaea, and dwelt there. 
But such as kept to their oath sailed to Cyrnus, where 

15 they dwelt for five years. But at the end of five years 
the Phoenicians and the men of Carthage made alliance 
and sailed against them, for they plundered all the 
neighboring parts.. Then was there a great battle, and 
the Phocseans prevailed, yet lost forty ships out of three- 

20 score. Then those that remained sailed to Rhegium in 
Italy, and built a city in those parts. 

48. The men of Tios did as the Phocseans had done, 
for they put all that they had in ships, and departed, 
and dwelt in a city of Thrace called Abdera. But all 

25 the other lonians on the mainland submitted themselves 
to Cyrus; and the islanders did likewise, fearing what 
might befall them. 

49. After this Harpagus subdued the other nations 
that are in those parts, as the Carians and the Lycians 



11. Cyrnus (sir'nus): The Greek name of Corsica. 

13. Of this Herodotus says more fully: " More than half of their number 
were seized with such sadness and so great a longing to see once more their 
city and their ancient homes, that they broke the oath by which they had 
bound themselves and sailed back to Phocsea." 



STORIES OF CECESUS, CYEUS AND BABYLON. 57 

and others. About these there is nothing worthy to be 
told, save about the Lycians of Xanthus only. For 
these first of all fought against the Persians before their 
city, and being vanquished for all their valor, for they 
were few fighting against many, and being shut up in 5 
their city, yet would not yield themselves. For first 
they gathered together in their citadel their wives and 
their children and their slaves and all their goods, and 
burnt them with fire. And having done this, they 
bound themselves with dreadful oaths, and fell upon lo 
the Persians, and died fighting all of them. 



CHAPTER V. 

THE BIRTH AND BRINGING UP OF CYRUS. 

1. AsTYAGES king of the Medes had a daughter 
whose name was Mandane; and of this daughter, when 
she was but a child, he dreamed such a dream that he 
feared exceedingly what might happen to him and to i5 
his kingdom by reason of her. 

2. Therefore when she grew of age to be married, he 
gave her not to a man of her own race, but he gave her 
to a Persian, whose name was Cambyses. And this 
Cambyses was indeed of a noble house, but of a quiet 20 
and peaceable temper. Only because he was a Persian, 
Astyages held him to be of less account than a Mede, 
whether he were noble or no. 

3. But in the first year of the marriage King Asty- 
ages dreamed another dream of his daughter, which 25 



58 STOKIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLON. 

made him yet more afraid than had the former dream. 
Therefore he sent for the woman, who was now about to 
bring forth her first-born child, and kept her in the 
palace, being minded to pnt to death that which should 
5 be born of her, for the interpreters of dreams had sig- 
nified to him that the son of his daughter should be 
king in his stead. 

4. When therefore she bare Cyrus, for they gave this 
name to the child, Astyages called to him one Harpagus, 

lo who was of his kindred, and faithful to him beyond all 
other of the Medes, and who had also the care of his 
household. And when Harpagus was come to him, the 
King said, "Harpagus, see thou that in the matter 
which I shall now put in thy charge thou in no wise 

15 neglect my commandment, nor prefer others to me, and 
so in the end bring great sorrow on thyself. Now the 
matter is this. Thou shalt take this child that Man- 
dane my daughter hath lately borne, and carry it to thy 
home, and there slay it; and afterward thou shalt bury 

20 it in such fashion as thou wilt/' 

5. To this Harpagus said, " King, thou hast never 
perceived any transgression in thy servant in time past; 
and he will take good heed that he sin not against thee 
in time to come. And as for this matter of which thou 

25 speakest, if thou wilt have it so, it must needs be done." 

6. When Harpagus had said this, they gave him the 
child into his hands, the child being dressed as if for 
death and burial, and he took it and went to his home 
weeping. And when he was come thither he said to 

30 his wife all the words that King Astyages had said to 
him. 

7. Then the woman spake, saying, "What then art 
thou minded to do in this matter ?" And he said, " Of 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYEUS AN"D BABYLON". 59 

a surety I shall not do as tlie King liath commanded 
me. For though he should be turned aside to folly, and 
be stricken with madness even more grievously than he 
is now stricken, yet why should I be the slayer of this 
child? And the causes wherefore I will not do this 5 
thing are many. For first he is of my own kindred, 
and next Astyages is an old man and hath no male off- 
spring. If, then, when he shall die, his kingdom shall 
go to his daughter, whose child he biddeth me to slay, 
surely I shall stand in great peril. It must needs be lo 
that the child die; for how else shall I escape, but the 
slayer shall be one of the servants of Astyages, and not 
I or one of my own servants.^^ 

8. When he had thus spoken, he sent a messenger 
straightway to one of the herdsmen of Astyages, know- 15 
ing that the 'man dwelt in a place well fitted for the 
purpose, tha^t is to say, a mountain abounding in wild 
beasts. The name of this herdsman was Mitradates, 
and his wife was a slavewoman, Spaco by name. 

9. As for the pastures where he pastured his herd, 20 
they lay under the mountains which are northward 
from Egbatana, toward the Black Sea. For this region 
of the land of Media is covered with woods and moun- 
tains, but the country for the most part is a plain coun- 
try. The herdsman therefore being thus called came 25 
with all speed. 

22. JEgbatana (eg-bat'a-na): The capital of Media, more commonly called 
Ecbatana. Herodotus describes it thus : "The walls are of great size and. 
strength, rising in circles one within the other. The plan of the place is, 
that each of the walls should out-top the one beyond it by the battlements. 
The nature of the ground, which is a gentle hill, favors this arrangement in 
some degree, but it was mainly effected by art. The number of the circles 
is seven, the royal palace and the treasuries standing within the last. The 
circuit of the outer wall is very nearly the same with, that at Athens. Of 
this wall the battlements are white, of the next black, of the third scarlet, 
of the fourth blue, of the fifth orange; all these are colored with paint. 
The two last have their battlements coated respectively with silver and 
gold." 



60 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AlTD BABYLON. 

10. And when lie was come, Harpagus said to him, 
"Astyages bids thee take this child and put him in 
some desert place among the mountains that he may 
speedily perish. And he bids me say that if thou slay 

5 him not, but in any way sufferest him to live, he will 
destroy thee most miserably. And I am appointed to 
see that this thing be done." 

11. When the herdsman heard these words he took 
the child and went on his way to his home, and came to 

lo the stalls of the cattle. Now it chanced that his wife 
had been in travail all that day, and that she bare a 
child while the herdsman was at the city. And the two 
were much troubled each about the other ; for the hus- 
band feared lest haply it should go ill with his wife in 

15 her travail, and the woman was afraid because Har23agus 
had sent for her husband in much haste, which thing 
he had not been wont to do. 

12. AVhen therefore he had returned, the woman, see- 
ing that he was come back speedily and beyond her 

20 hope, asked of him, saying, " Why did Harpagus send 
for thee in such haste ?" Then the man made answer, 
" When I was come to the city I saw and heard such 
things as I would had never befallen my masters ; for 
the whole house of Harpagus was full of weeping and 

25 wailing. And when I went into the house, being sore 
astonished at these things, I saw a child lying there and 
crying ; and the child was adorned with gold and fine 
clothing. 

13. " And Harpagus, so soon as he saw me, bade me 
30 take up the child with all haste and depart, and put it 

on such mountain as I knew to be most haunted by wild 
beasts. And he said that King Astyages had given 
commandment that this should be done. And he added 



STORIES OF CECESUS, CYRUg aKD BABYLOK". 61 

many threats of what should befall me, if I should not 
do as he had bidden me. 

14. " Wherefore I took the child, and carried it awaj, 
thinking that it was the child of some one in the 
household; for the truth, as it was, I could not haves 
imagined, yet did I marvel to see that the child was 
adorned with gold and fine apparel, and also that there 
should be so great a mourning in the house of Harpagus. 
But as I went on my way, one of the servants of Har- 
pagus, whom he had sent with me, recounted to me the lo 
whole matter, that this child was the son of Mandane 
the daughter of Astyages and Cambyses the son of 
Cyrus, and that Astyages had given commandment that 

it should be slain. This therefore is the child whom 
thou seest." 15 

15. And when the herdsman had said this he took 
away the covering, and showed the child to his wife. 
And when she saw the babe, that it was fair and well- 
favored, she wept, and laid hold of her husband by his 
knees and besought him that he would not do this 20 
thing, putting forth the child to die. But the man 
answered that he could not by any means do otherwise, 
for that Harpagus would send those who would see 
whether the thing had been done or no, and that he 
should perish miserably if he should be found to have 25 
transgressed the commandment. 

16. Then the woman, seeing that she could not pre- 
vail with her husband, spake to him again, saying, " If 
then I cannot prevail with thee that thou shouldest not 
put forth the child, yet listen to me. If the men must 30 
needs see a child put forth, do thou this thing that I 

12. This is Cyrus I., the son of Teispes, the son of Achaemenes, the founder 
of the Persian hne of kings. 



62 STORIES OP CBOEStJg, CYRUS AKD BABYLOK. 

shall tell thee. I was delivered of a child this day, and 
the child was dead when it was born. Take therefore 
this dead child and put it forth, and let us rear this 
child of the daughter of A sty ages as if it were our own. 
5 So thou wilt not be found to transgress the commands 
of thy masters, and we shall also hav^ done well for 
ourselves. For indeed the dead child shall have a royal 
burial, and the living child shall not be slain." 

17. And here the woman seemed to her husband the 
10 herdsman to have spoken very wisely and seasonably, 

and he did according to her v/ord. For the child that 
he had brought with him that he might cause him to 
die, this he gave to his wife to rear ; and his own child, 
being dead already, he put into the basket wherein he 
15 had carried the other. With this he put all the orna- 
ments wherewith the child had been adorned, and car- 
ried it to the most desolate place that he knew among 
the mountains, and there laid it forth. 

18. And on the third day after he had done this, he 
20 went again to the city, leaving his herds in the charge 

of one of them that were under him, and entering into 
the house of Harpagus, said he was ready to show the 
dead body of the child to any whom he might send. 
Wherefore Harpagus sent such of his own body-guard 
25 as he judged to be most faithful, and saw the thing, not 
himself indeed, but with their eyes, and afterward, 
buried the child that was the child of the herdsman. 

19. As for. the child that had afterward the name of 
Cyrus, the wife of the herdsman took him and reared 

30 him, but called him by some other name. When the 
boy was ten years old there befell a thing by which his 
birth was discovered. He was wont to play with other 
boys that were his equals in age, in the village wherein 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CTRUS AKD BABYLOK. 63 

were the dwellings of tlie herdsman and his fellows. 
And the boys in their sport chose him, being, as was 
supposed, the herdsman's son, to be their king. 

20. And he, being thus chosen, gave to each his 
proper work, setting one to build houses, and others to 5 
be his body-guards, and one to be the " Eye of the 
King," and others to carry messages, to each his own 
work. Now one of the boys that played with him, be- 
ing the son of one Artembares, a man of renown among 
the Medes, would not do the thing which Cyrus had lo 
commanded him. Wherefore Cyrus bade the other 
boys lay hold of him ; and when these had done his bid- 
ding he corrected him for his fault with many and 
grievous stripes. 

21. But the boy, so soon as he was let go, thinking 15 
that he had suffered a grievous wrong, went in great 
wrath to the city and made complaint to his father of 
the things which he had suffered at the hands of Cyrus ; 
only he spake not of Cyrus, for he bare not as yet that 
name, but of the herdsman's son. 20 

22. Then Artembares, being in a great rage, went 
straightway to King Astyages, taking with him his son, 
as one that had been shamefully entreated. And he 
said to the King, " See, King, how we have been 
wronged by this slave who is the son of thy herdsman." 25 
And he showed him the lad's shoulders, where might 
be seen the marks of the stripes. 

23. When Astyages heard and saw these things he 
was ready to avenge the lad on him that had done these 
things, wishing to do honor to Artembares. There- 30 
fore he sent for the herdsman and the boy. And when 

7. Eye of the King : This is an Eastern expression for the king's chief 
officer or guard. 



64 STORIES OF CROESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLOK. 

they were both come before him, Astyages looked 
toward Cyrus, " How didst thou, being the son of this 
herdsman, dare to do such shameful things to the son 
of a man who is first of all them that stand before me ?" 
5 24. To this Cyrus made answer, " My lord, all this 
that I did, I did with good cause; for the boys of the 
village, this also being one of them, in their play chose 
me to be their king, for I seemed to them to be the fit- 
test for this honor. All the others indeed did the 
10 things which I commanded them; but this boy was dis- 
obedient and paid no heed to me; for which things he 
received punishment as was due. And if thou deemest 
it fit that I should suffer for so doing, lo, here I am!" 

25. When the lad spake in this fashion, Astyages, 
15 considering with himself the whole matter, knew him 

who he was. For the likeness of his countenance be- 
trayed him; his speech also was more free than could 
be looked for in the son of a herdsman, and his age also 
agreed with the time of putting forth the child of his 
20 daughter. 

26. And being beyond measure astonished at these 
things, for a while he sat speechless; but at last, having 
scarcely come to himself, he said to Artembares, " Ar- 
tembares, I will so deal with this matter that neither 

25 thou nor thy son shall blame me," for he would have 
the man go forth from his presence, that having the 
herdsman alone he might question him more closely 
concerning. these matters. 

27. Then the King sent Artembares away, and bade 
30 his servants take Cyrus with them into the house. Be- 
ing therefore left alone with the herdsman, he inquired 
of him, saying, " Tell me whence didst thou receive this 
child, and who is he that gave him to thee ?" Then 



STORIES OF CROESUS, CYRUS AKB BABYLOK. 65 

said the herdsman, " Surely he is my son, and she that 
bare him is my wife, and is yet alive in my house." 

28. But the King answered, " Thou answerest not 
well for thyself; thou wilt bring thyself into great 
peril." And he bade his guards lay hold upon him. 5 
But the man, when he saw that he was being led away 
to the tormentors, said that he would tell the whole 
truth. And indeed he unfolded the story from the 
beginning, and neither changed nor concealed anything. 
And when he had ended, he was earnest in prayer to the lo 
King that he would have mercy upon him and pardon 
him. 

29. As for the herdsman indeed, when he had thus 
told the truth, Astyages took little heed of him; but he 
had great wrath against Harpagus, and sent to him by 15 
his guards that he should come forthwith. And when 
he was come, the King said to him, " Harpagus, how 
didst thou slay the boy whom I delivered to thee that 
was born of my daughter ?" 

30. And Harpagus, seeing that the herdsman stood 20 
before the King, sought not to hide the matter, for he 
judged that he should be easily convicted if he should 
speak that which was false. Therefore he said, " O 
King, when I took the child from thy hands, I consid- 
ered with myself how I might best do thy pleasure, so 25 
that I might both be blameless before thee, and also 
free of blood-guiltiness as concerning thy daughter. 

31. "And I did after this manner. I called this 
herdsman to me, and gave the child into his hands, 
telling him that thou hadst given commandment that it 30 
should be slain. Then I bade him take the child, and 
put it out in some desert place among the mountains, 
and watch by it till it should die. And at the same time 



66 STOKIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLON. 

I used to him all manner of threats, if he should not in 
all things fulfil my words. And when the man had 
done according to my bidding, I sent the most faithful 
of my servants, and having seen by their eyes that the 
5 child was dead, I buried him. This is the truth of the 
matter, King, and in this manner the child died.'' 

32. When Harpagns had ended this story, wherein he 
spake, as he thought, the whole truth, Astyages hid his 
anger in his heart, and related the whole matter as he 

10 had heard it from the herdsman; and when it was 
ended, he said, "The boy yet lives; and it is well; for 
indeed I have been much troubled, remembering what 
had been done to the child ; nor did I count it a light 
matter that my daughter v/as displeased with me. 

15 33. " Now, therefore, that the matter hath turned out 
so well, first send thine own son that he may be a com- 
panion to this boy, and next come and dine with me to- 
day, for I would have a feast of thanksgiving for this 
boy that was dead and is alive again." When Harpagus 

20 heard these words, he bowed himself down before the 
King, rejoicing beyond measure that his transgression 
had had so good an ending, and that he had been called 
to the feast of thanksgiving; and he went to his house. 

34. And being come, in the joy of his heart he told 
25 to his wife all that had befallen him. But the King, so 

soon as the son of Harpagus was come into the house, 
took him and slew him, and cut him limb from limb; 
and of the flesh he roasted some, and some he boiled; 
and so, having dressed it with much care, made it 
30 ready against the dinner. 

35. And when the hour of dinner was come, Harpa- 
gus and the other guests sat down to meat; and before 
Harpagus was set a dish of the flesh of his own son, 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKB BABfYLOK. 67 

wlierein was every part, save only the head and the tips -. 
of the hands and of the feet. For these lay apart by 
themselves with a covering over them. And when Har- 
pagus had eaten enough, the King asked him, " Was 
this dish to thy mind ?" And when the man answered 5 
that it was indeed to his mind, certain men who had 
had commandment to do this thing brought the head 
and the hands and the feet, covered with their cover. 

36. These stood before Harpagus, and bad him un- 
cover and take what he would. And when Harpagus lo 
so did, he saw what remained of his son. Yet, seeing it, 
he was not amazed, but still commanded himself. Then 
the King inquired of him, " Knowest thou what beast 
this is, of whom thou hast eaten T' And Harpagus 
made answer, " I know it; and all that the King doeth i5 
is well.^^ Then he took what was left of the flesh and 
carried it with him to his house, and buried it. 



CHAPTEE VI. 

CYRUS OVERTHROWETH ASTYAGES AKD TAKETH THE 
KINGDOM TO HIMSELF. 

1. When King Astyages had punished Harpagus for 
his transgression in this fashion, he took counsel what 
he should do with Cyrus. Wherefore he sent for the 20 
same Magians who had interpreted to him his dream 
concerning his daughter. And when they were come, 

21. Magians: These are the Magi, the priests and learned men among the 
Medes and Persians, the " wise men of the East." Magic was originally 
the art or science of the Magi^ and a magician was a Magian. 



68 STORIES OF CIKESUS, CYRtlS AKB BABYLOK. 

Astyages inquired of them how they interpreted the 
dream. And they spake again after the former fashion, 
saying that it was signified by this dream that the boy 
must needs be a king, if he should live to be of full age. 
5 -2. And when they had so spoken the King spake 
thus to them, "The child is yet alive; and it came to 
pass that in the village wherein he liveth the lads his 
companions made him their king. And being so made, 
he did all things that they who are verily kings are 
10 wont to do ; for he made some body-guards, and some 
porters, and some bearers of messages ; and to others he 
gave other offices. Think ye that this hath aught to do 
with our matter ?^^ 

3. The Magians said, "'If the child is yet alive and 
15 was made king after this fashion, but not of any set 

purpose of thine, thou mayest be of good courage; for 
he will not be a king again. And indeed it happeneth 
oftentimes that oracles and dreams and the like have 
their fulfillment after this manner in little things, and 
2o so come to nothing." 

4. To this Astyages made answer again, "I, too, 
Magians, am myself also greatly inclined to this opinion 
of the matter, that the dream was fulfilled when the 
boy was called by the name of a king, and that there is 

25 no cause why I should fear him any more. Neverthe- 
less consider the matter well, and advise me how I shall 
best order these things both for my own house and also 
for you." ■ 

5. Then the Magians said again, " King, it is not 
30 thy gain only but ours also that thy kingdom should be 

established. Eor verily if it go to this boy, it will pass 
away from our nation, seeing he is a Persian; and if if 
so pass, then shall we be as strangers, and shall be of no 



I 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYEUS AKD BABYLON". 69 

account in comparison of the Persians. But if thou art 
established in thy kingdom, seeing that thou art of the 
same country, then shall it in some sort be ours; and 
we also shall receive great honors at thy hands. Where- 
fore we should by all means take thought for thee and 5 
for thy dominion. And now, if we perceived before- 
hand any peril, surely we should not hide it from thee; 
but seeing that the dream which made thee afraid hath 
ended in nothing, we are ourselves of good courage, and 
would bid thee also be of the same. As for this boy, lo 
send him away out of thy sight to the land of the Per- 
sians, even to his father and his mother.^^ 

6. When Astyages heard this, he rejoiced exceedingly^ 
and when he had called Cyrus to him he said, " My son, 

1 sought to do thee wrong by reason of a dream that 1 15 
had, which dream hath failed of its accomplishment; 
and now seeing that thy good luck hath saved thee, go 
thy way in peace to the Persians, and I will send some 
to take thee on thy way. There wilt thou find thy 
father and thy mother; and these not such as are the 20 
herdsman and his wife.^' 

7. Then Astyages sent away Cyrus to Persia, to his 
father and mother, who received him with great joy, for 
they had thought that he was dead. And when he 
grew to manhood, there could not be found among his 25 
fellows that were of like age one that had such courage 
and virtue, and was in such favor with all men. 

8. Then, after a while, there came to him messengers 
with gifts from Harpagus; for the man desired exceed- 
ingly to have vengeance upon Astyages, but knew not 30 
how, being but a private man, he could gain his end ; 
seeing therefore that Cyrus was grown to such ex- 
cellence; he sought to make friendship and alliance with 



70 STORIES OF CECESUS, CYEUS AKD BABYLON". 

the young man; for lie judged that they had suffered 
wrong, both of them, at the hands of the King. 

9. And indeed he had before this wrought for the 
same end. For Astyages was wont to deal cruelly with 

5 his people, and Harpagus had talked with certain of the 
chief men of the Modes, persuading them that they 
should rebel against Astyages and make Cyrus king in 
his stead. 

10. Now, therefore, all things being ready, he sought 
10 to have communication with Cyrus and show him his 

purpose, but knew not how he should do it, seeing that 
the roads were guarded. But at the last he devised this 
device. He took a hare, and ripped up the beast, but 
took not from it the skin, and having written on a roll 
15 all that he would say to Cyrus, put the roll within and 
sewed up again the belly of the beast. 

11. Then he equipped one of his household, that he 
judged to be the most faithful, as for hunting, giving 
him nets and the like, and with them the hare. This 

20 man, therefore, he sent into the land of Persia, and 
instructed him by word of mouth that he should give 
the hare into the hands of Cyrus, and should bid him 
open it himself when no man should be near. All this 
was done as he would have it ; and Cyrus, having 

25 received the hare, opened it with his own hand, and 
having found the roll, read it. 

12. Now Harpagus had written in the roll these 
words : " Son of Cambyses, seeing that the Gods have a 
care for thee, for else thou hadst not come to such pros- 

soperity, bethink thee how thou mayest have vengeance 
on Astyages, who would have slain thee. For indeed, 
as regards him, thou hadst died long ago, but yet 
through the favor of the Gods and my help thou livest 



STOKIES OF CRCESUS, CYEUS AND BABYLOK. 71 

For I judge that thou hast now for a long time known 
the truth about thyself, and what I have suffered at the 
hands of Astyages, because I slew thee not, but rather 
gave thee to the herdsman. Now, therefore, if thou 
wilt hearken to me, thou shalt be master of all the 5 
country which King Astyages now hath. Persuade the 
Persians that they revolt, and make war against the 
Medes. 

13. "And it shall happen as thou wouldst have it, 
whether I be set by Astyages to command the army that lo 
shall be sent against thee, or whether any other of the 
principal men among the Medes be so set. For they 
will be the first to rebel against him, and will do what 
they can to the end that they may overthrow Astyages. 
All things therefore are ready. Only whatever thou 15 
doest thou shouldest do quickly.^' 

14. When Cyrus had read these words he took counsel 
with himself how he might best cause the Persians to -., 
revolt. And having considered the matter, he did thus. 
He wrote in a roll what things he would ; and then, 20 
having called an assembly of the Persians, opened the 
roll before them all, and read from it that Astyages had 
made him commander of the Persians. 

15. And when he had read these words he said, 
"Hearken now, ye Persians; come on the morrow, each 25 
man with a reaping-hook.^^ And on the morrow when 
they came, each man with his reaping-hook, to a certain 
place in the land of Persia which was covered with 
thorns and briers, he said to them, " Clear ye me this 
place of these thorns by sunset,^^ and the place was of 30 
eighteen or, it may be, twenty furlongs each way. So 
the Persians cleared the place as they had been com- 
manded, 



72 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLON". 



16. Then Cyrus said to them, " Come again to me to- 
morrow, but come ready for a feast ;^^ and he prepared a 
great feast for the whole army of the Persians, with 
flesh of goats, and sheep, and oxen, and good store of 

5 Avine, and all manner of victual, the best that could be 
provided. And when the Persians were come on the 
morrow, he made them sit down in a meadow that he 
had, and feasted them there. 

17. And when their meal was ended, Cyrus asked 
lothem, saying, " Tell me, on which day did ye fare the 

. better, yesterday or to-day ?" And they answered, ^' We 
cannot compare the two, for yesterday we had toil and 
. trouble, but to-day all good things." 

18. Then did Cyrus unfold to them his whole counsel, 
15 saying, "Men of Persia, the matter stands thus. If ye 

will hearken to me ye shall have all these good things 
and others also without number, and that without any 
need of toiling as slaves. But if ye will not hearken, 
ye shall have labors without end, such as ye had yester- 

20 day. Hearken therefore to me, and be free. For I 
am sure that I was born by the will of the Gods to 
bring these things to pass; and as for you, I hold that 
you are in no wise worse than the Medes, whether as 
regards valor in battle or as regards other things. I 

25 bid you, therefore, rebel this day against King Asty- 



ages. 



19. Cyrus spake these words, and the Persians heark- 
ened unto him right willingly, taking him for their 
leader, for they had long since borne it ill that they 
30 should be servants to the Medes. And when Astyages 
heard of these things he sent a messenger to Cyrus 
commanding him that he should come to him. But 



STOEIES OF CRCESUS, CYEUS AND BABYLON. 73 

Cyrus said to the man, " Say to Astyages, ' Cyrus will 
come to thee sooner than thou wouldest have him/^^ 

20. When Astyages heard these words, he gathered 
together all the host of the Medes, and made Harpagus 
captain of the host, forgetting all the wrong that he had 5 
done to him, for it was as if the Gods had smitten him 
with madness. Now it came to pass that when the 
battle was joined, some of the Modes fought with all 
their might against the Persians, knowing nothing of 
the counsels of Harpagus, and some deserted to the lo 
Persians, but the greater part turned their backs and 
fled. 

21. But Astyages, when he knew that the host had . 
fled before the Persians in shameful fashion, yet lost 
not hope, but sent to Cyrus, threatening him and say- 15 
ing, ^' Thou shalt not go unpunished.'^ Then he gath- 
ered together all the Modes that were left in the city, 
both the old men and the lads, and led them out against 
the Persians and fought with them. But the Modes 
fled a second time before the Persians, and Astyages was 20 
taken captive. 

22. And when he was brought into the camp, Harpa- 
gus stood before him, rejoicing over him and reviling 
him, saying, "See now, thou didst give me the flesh of 
my son for meat, and lo ! thou hast gained for thyself 25 
slavery in the place of a kingdom." Then Astyages 
looked upon him and said, "Sayest thou then that this 
deed of Cyrus is of thy doing ?" "Yea,"' said Harpagus, 

" for I devised the thing for him, and rightly claim it 
for my own.'^ go 

23. Then Astyages made answer, " Surely then thou 
art more foolish and wicked than all other men. More 
foolish art thou, for if thou hast done this thing of thy- 



74 STOKIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AJ^D BABYLOK. 

self and so mightest have made thyself a King, why 
didst thou suffer the power to go to another ? And 
more wicked, seeing that thou hast brought all the 
nation of the Medes into slavery, bearing anger against 
5 me for the little matter of a feast. 

24. " For if thou must needs give the kingdom to an- 
other rather than keep it for thyself, yet surely thou 
hadst done well to give it to a Mede rather than to a 
Persian. But now thou hast brought it about that the 

lo Medes, though they were innocent in this matter, hav- 
ing been masters aforetime, are now servants, and that 
the Persians, having been before our servants, are now 
our masters." 

25. Thus was Astyages driven from his kingdom, 
15 having reigned thirty and five years, and by reason of 

his tyranny having brought great loss to the whole 
nation of the Medes. Howbeit he suffered nothing at 
the hands of Cyrus, but lived in peace till the day of 
his death. 

20 26. Of the Persians, of their customs and manner of 
life, there are some things worthy to be told. They 
have no images of the Gods, nor temples, nor altars, 
charging with folly them that use such things, for they 
hold that the Gods have not the form of men. Their 

25 custom is to go up to the tops of the highest mountains 
that they know, and there do sacrifice to Zeus; but by 
Zeus is signified the whole circle of the heavens. 

27. Also they do sacrifice to the sun, and to the 
moon, and to the earth, and to fire, and to water, and to 

30 the winds. And when they do sacrifice, it is not lawful 
for any man to pray for good things for himself only, 
but he prays for them for the whole nation of the Per- 



STORIES OF CECESUS^ CYEUS AI^D BABYLOl^. 75 

sians, and for the King, remembering that he is one of 
the Persians, and that so he prayeth for himself. 

28. They take great account of birthdays, every man 
making a feast, according to his means, on his own day. 
When they have great matters in hand they deliberate 5 
upon them, first drinking themselves drunk. But on 
the morrow, the master of the house where they are 
layeth before them, being then sober, that which they 
have resolved, and if it still please them, then it is con- 
firmed. And all things on which they have deliberated lo 
being sober, they consider again when they are drunk. 

29. Their children they teach three things only, be- 
ginning when they are five years old and continuing 
until twenty years; and the things are these — to ride 
on horseback, and to shoot with the bow, and to speak 15 
the truth. 

30. They hold that the most shameful thing that a 
man can do is to lie; and next to this that he should 
owe money to another; for they say that the man that 
oweth money to another cannot choose but lie. 20 



4. On such days it was customary to have an ox or other large animal 
baked and served up whole. It is still a common custom in the East to 
roast sheep whole, even tor an ordinary repast, and in Europe the barbecue 
is still popular on public holiday occasions. 

11. Tacitus tells us that this method of deliberation was also common 
among the early Germans, and seems to regard it as a good method of 
obtaining a well-balanced decision. The passion for wine drinking is as 
marked among the Persians of the present day, in spite of the prohibitions 
of the Prophet, as it was in the time of Herodotus. 

16. This high regard for truth among the Persians is proved in a remark- 
able manner by the inscriptions of Darius, in which lying is taken as the 
representative of all evil. When a certain usurpation of the government 
occurred, it is recorded that " then the lie became abounding in the land/' 
and this was regarded as the chief calamity of the usurpation. 



76 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLON. 

CHAPTER VII. 

THE CITY OF BABYLO:^^. CYRUS TAKETH IT. 

1. Whek Cyrus had overthrown the kingdom of the 
Lydians, and had conquered also such countries and 
cities as had appertained thereto, he made war in the 
next place against the Assyrians. Now the Assyrians 

5 have many other great and famous cities, but the great- 
est and most famous of all is Babylok, for there, when 
Mneveh was destroyed, was set up the palace of the 
King. 

2. The city of Babylon is built foursquare, and the 
lo measure of each side is one hundred and twenty fur- 
longs. Round about the walls there is a ditch, very 
deep and broad and full of water; and after the ditch 
there is a wall, of which the breadth is seventy and five 
feet, and the height three hundred feet. On the top 

15 of the wall, at the sides thereof, are built houses of one 
story, being so much apart that a chariot with four 
horses may turn in the space. And in the wall there 
are a hundred gates, of brass all of them, with posts and 
lintels of the same. 

20 3. The city is divided into two parts, between which 
floweth the river. Now the name of this river is Eu- 
phrates, and it cometh out of the land of Armenia, and 
floweth into the Red Sea. 

4. On either side the wall is pushed forward into the 

25 river; also along each bank of the river there runneth 
a wall of baked brick. The city is built with houses of 

23. Red Sea : A name often given to the Indian Ocean (Erythraean Sea), 
as well as to its arms, the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLOK. 77 

three stories or four, these being ordered in straight 
streets that cross each other. And wheresoever a street 
goeth down to the river there are gates of brass in the 
walls of brick that is by the riverside, gates for each 
street. Also over and above the outer wall of the city 5 
there is an inner wall, of well-nigh equal strength, but 
in thickness not so great. 

5. In each part of the city there was a great building, 
of which one was the King^s palace and the other the 
temple of Belus. This temple hath brazen gates, and lo 
is foursquare, being two furlongS every way. In the 
midst there is a tower which is solid throughout and of 
the bigness of a furlong each way ; and on this tower is 
built another tower, and yet another upon this, aiid so 
forth, seven in all. Eound about these towers are built 15 
stairs ; and for one who hath climbed halfway a landing- 
place and chairs where he may rest; and in the topmost 
tower there is a temple very splendidly furnished, and a 
couch and a table thereby, but no image. 

6. There is another temple below, and in it a statue 20 
of Zeus sitting, and before it a table of gold ; the throne 
and the steps are also of gold ; and the weight of all is 
eight hundred talents. Outside is a golden altar, on 
which a thousand talents of frankincense were wont to 
be burnt at the great feast. Here also was a great 25 
statue of gold, twelve cubits high, and solid throughout. 
This statue Darius was minded to take, but dared not; 
yet did Xerxes take it, and slew the priest that would 
have hindered him. 

10. Belus (be'lus): The Greek name of the traditional founder of Babylon, 
that is, " the dwelling-place of Bel.''^ From this name came Baal, the name 
of the PhcEnician divinity. Bel was the national divinity of the Assyrians, 
as Zeus was of the Greeks. As the Eastern nations came into closer con- 
tact with each other through wars and conquests, one would often adopt 
the divinities of another. See Isaiah^ xlvi. 1 ; Jerem. 1. 3. 



78 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLOH. 

7. Of this city of Babylon there have been many 
kings, and two queens. Of these queens the first made 
for the river great banks, for before her day it used to 
overflow all the plain of Babylon. The name of this 
5 Queen was Semiramis, and the name of the second 
Queen was Nitocris. This Mtocris, seeing that the 
kingdom of the Modes increased daily, and that they 
were not content with what they had, but sought to 
subdue others, and had conquered many cities, among 

i6 which was Nineveh, devised a defense against them. 
For first she caused that the river Euphrates, which 
before had flowed in a straight course, should now fetch 
a compass ; and this she did by making for it new chan- 
nels. 

15 8. And now one that saileth on this river cometh 
thrice in three days to the self -same village, and the 
name of this village is Ardericca. Also she made a 
great lake, digging it out by the side of the river; and 
the circuit of this lake is four hundred and twenty fur- 

20 longs. Now both these things she did for the same end, 
that the stream of the river might be the slower and the 
voyage to Babylon a voyage of many windings, and that 
when the voyage on the river should be ended, then 
there should be the voyage on the lake. 

25 9. All this was done on that side of the city which 



1. Babylon revolted against Darius and was besieged and taken by him. 
Another revolt was put down by Xerxes (zerks'eez), the son of Darius, 
after his disastrous invasion of Greece. The story of Dai'ius is given in 
Chaps. XV.-XVII. of Prof. Churches book. 

5. Semiramis (se-mir'a-mis): This famous queen, it is said, was exposed 
when a child like the child Cyrus, and was miraculously fed by doves until 
she was discovered by a shepherd called Simmas, by wliom she was brought 
up and from whom she received the name Semiramis. She was celebrated 
for her surpassing beauty and many heroic achievements. She built the 
city of Babylon, it was believed, and many wonderful buildings besides, as 
we'll as the Hanging Gardens, of which such marvelous tales have been told. 
See Ragozin's " Story of Assyria." ^x, * t> , v, n ^ 

8. Nitocris (ni-to'krls): This queen was the mother of Belshazzar, called 
by the Greeks Labynetus. 



STOBIES OP CRCESUS, CYRUS AHD BABYLOK. 79 

looketh toward the country of the Medes; for she 
would not that the Medes should come into her domin- 
ion and learn her affairs. Also she did this great work 
for the city. There being two parts, and the river 
flowing between them, the citizens had been wont in 5 
days of former kings to cross, if they had need, from 
the one part to the other in boats; and this was a toil 
to them. She caused her servants to cut very large 
stones, and when these were finished, she commanded 
that they should turn the river into the lake which she lo 
had dug. 

10. And while this was a-filling, the old stream being 
now dry, she embanked with brick the side of the river, 
and the ways also that led thereto from the gates. But 
in the middle part of the city she built a bridge with 15 
the stones which she had caused to be cut, binding them 
together with iron and lead. On this bridge there were 
laid, so long as it was day, four-cornered timbers, on 
the which the men of Babylon crossed the bridge. But 
at nightfall the timbers were taken away, so that the 20 
people of the city might not steal from each other. 
And when this was finished she brought the river again 
into his channel. 

11. This queen devised this deceit. She made for 
herself a tomb over that one of the gates by which the 25 
people were chiefly wont to go forth. On this tomb 
she wrote certain words of which the significance was 
this : " If oke of the Kiisras after me lack moi^ey, 
let him opek this tomb akd take what he will. 
But let him not opek it unless he need, for it 30 
WILL BE THE WORSE FOR HiM.'^ This tomb uo man 
would meddle with till Darius came to the kingdom. 

12. Now it seemed a grievous thing to Darius that 



80 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLOIT. 

no man should use the gate, and that money should be 
there, and that it should call men to take it, yet should 
not be taken. For no one used the gate because there 
was a dead body above his head as he went out. A¥here- 
5 fore he opened the tomb; but having opened it, found 
no money therein, but only the dead body of the queen 
and these words, saying, "If thou were not insati- 
ate OF MONEY AND A LOVER OF GAIN, THOU HADST 
NOT OPENED THE RESTING-PLACE OF THE DEAD.^^ 

lo 13. Now the king against whom Cyrus made war was 
the son of this woman, and his name was Labynetus; and 
this had been the name of his father also. Now when 
the Great King, the King of the Persians, marcheth 
anywhither he is well provided with food and cattle, and 

15 also with water from the river Choaspes, which fioweth 
by the city of Susa; for the King drinketh not of any 
other river save this only. And many four-wheeled 
wagons, drawn by mules, follow the army whithersoever 
it goeth, bearing vessels of silver wherein is the water, 

2o having been first boiled. 

14. But when Cyrus came in his march to the river 
Gyndes (this river floweth into the Tigris) there befell 
this thing. While he was seeking to cross the river, 
which is of such bigness that ships can sail thereon, one 

25 of the white horses which are sacred would have crossed 
the river by swimming, and in so doing was drowned. 
Then Cyrus was very wroth with the river that had done 
him this Wrong; and sware that he would make it so 

16. Susa : One of the Persian capitals, called in the Bible Shushan. It was 
a vast city, fifteen or twenty miles in circuit. Alexander found great treas- 
ures here. Its site is now marked only by mounds ; these were opened in 
1885 and interesting relics found, which are now in the Louvre Museum in 
Paris. 

22. Gyndes (jin'deez): This is probably the modern Diydhah, although 
some think it the Gangir, which is actually divided into a multitude of small 
streams, at a place called Mendalli. 



STORIES OF CRCESUS/ CYRUS AKD BABYLOK. 81 

weak that a woman should be able to cross it without 
wetting her knee. 

15. When he had sworn this oath he divided his army 
into two parts, and commanded each part that it should 
dig long trenches by the side of the river — one part 5 
working on each side— and the number of the trenches 
should be one hundred and eighty for each part. And 
as there was a great multitude of men the work was 
accomplished in no great space of time; nevertheless 
they consumed the whole summer in this work. to 

16. So the river Gyndes was made to flow into these 
trenches, three hundred and sixty in all. And when 
this was done, and the winter was over, together with 
the next spring Cyrus led his army to Babylon. And 
when he came near to the city, the Babylonians came 1 5 
forth to meet him; and when the battle was joined, the 
Babylonians fled before Cyrus, and were shut up in their 
city. 

17. Now they had gathered provisions for many years, 
for they knew that Cyrus was a man of war, and sought 20 
to conquer all the nations round about. So, therefore, 
their walls also being very strong, they took no account 
of the siege; but Cyrns was much troubled, for even 
after a long time he had done nothing in the matter of 
taking the city. And whether he himself devised the 25 
device, or another devised it for him, cannot be said ; but 
this he did. He divided his army into two portions; 
and of these he set one above the city where the river 
floweth into it, and the other he set below it where the 
river floweth out. 30 

18. To these he gave commandment that when they 
should see the river so shallow that a man could cross it 
they should enter the city by it. And when he had 



82 STORIES OF CKGESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLOK. 

thus ordered things, he himself departed with such of 
the army as were of no account for war, and when he 
came to the lake which Nitocris, Queen of Babylon, 
had made by the riverside, then did he thus. He made 
5 a great trench, and turned the river into the lake, which 
in those days was a marsh only and not filled with 
water. 

19. And when this had been done the river became 
shallow, so that a man might cross it, and the Persians 




BABYLONIAN CAPTIVES. 



10 to whom the commandment had been given, perceiving 
what had happened, and that the water now came but 
up to the middle of a man^s thigh, entered the city of 
Babylon by way of the river. 

20. Now if the men of Babylon had known before- 

15 hand or perceived the thing that Cyrus was doing, then 
all these Persians had perished miserably, for they would 
have shut all the gates leading down to the river, and 
would have gone up themselves on to the walls that were 
built along the banks of the river, and so would have 



STORIES OF CRCESTTS, CYRUS AND BABYLOK. 83 

had the Persians as it were in a fish-trap. But in truth 
the Persians came upon them unawares. 

21. Now the bigness of the city was such that they 
who dwelt in the middle parts knew not that the outside 
parts had been taken ; but played and danced and de- 5 
lighted themselves, till indeed they were made to know it 
in such fashion as they liked not. 

22. This land of Babylon is a very good land. For 
while all the rest of Asia nourisheth the Great King 
and his army for eight months, this alone nourisheth lo 
him for four months. And there cometh to him that 
holdeth this province under tke King a measure of silver 
containing twelve gallons day by day. Eain falleth 
not often, but the plain is watered by the river, as is 
also the land of Egypt; and it beareth wheat as doth no 15 
other country in the whole earth, even two hundredfold, 
and, when the harvest is of the best, three hundredfold. 

23. They have this law about marriage. In every 
village and town they gather together such maidens as 
are of a marriageable age into one place, the multitude 20 
of men standing in a circle round about them. Then 
there standeth up a herald in the midst and selleth 

7. The Jews were at this time held in bondage at Babylon and gave Cyrus 
valuable assistance. For this he gave them their liberty, sent them back to 
Jerusalem, aided them in rebuilding the Temple, and restored to them all 
the sacred gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar had brought to 
Babylon. For the Biblical account, see the book of Daniel, v., Ezra, i.-vi., 
II Chronicles, xxxvi. 22, 23. This conquest of Cyrus was foretold in the 
prophecy of Isaiah, xlv. 1. See also Isaiah, xlvi., xlvii. 

14. Says Herodotus : " The river does not, as in Egypt, overflow the corn- 
lands of its own accord, but is spread over them by the hand, or by the help 
of engines. The whole of Babylonia is. like Egypt, intersected with canals." 
The modern method of irrigation is to draw the water from the river to the 
top of the bank by means of oxen and ropes passed over a roller between 
two upright posts. 

17. Herodotus adds: "The blade of the wheat-plant and barley-plant is 
often four fingers in breadth. As for the millet and the sesame, I shall not 
say to what height they grow, though within my own knowledge ; for I am 
not ignorant that what I have already written concerning the fruitfulness 
of Babylonia must seem incredible to those who have never visited the 
country." 



84 STORIES OF CRCESUS;, CYRUS Al^J) BABYLON. 

them, one by one; and the manner of selling them is 
this. First he taketh her that is counted the fairest in 
the whole company, and when she has been sold for a 
great sum of money, then her that is the next in fair- 
5 ness. 

24. Then all the wealthy men among the Babylon- 
ians, being minded to marry, contend with each other 
who shall buy those that excel in beauty; but such of 
the common folk as are minded to marry care not at all 

lo for beauty, but take the maidens that are less comely to 
look upon, and money with them. 

25. For when the herald had finished his selling of 
the beautiful maidens, then he taketh her that is worst 
favored in the company, or, it may be, maimed of a 

15 limb, and offereth her. And the men say for how much 
money they will take her to wife ; and to him that say- 
eth the least is she given. And the gold that the rich 
men pay for the well-favored among the maidens, this 
do the poor men receive with the ill-favored. 'Nor is it 

2o lawful for a man to give his daughter in marriage to 
any that he will. 

26. Another excellent custom have they with them 
that are sick. These they carry forth from their houses 
into the market-place ; for they have no physicians in 

25 their country. Then all that come near give their 
counsel about the sick man, if any one hath himself en- 
dured such disease as the sick man hath, or hath seen 
any other enduring it. And they tell each of them in 
their turn how they were cured of such disease, or may 

22. Herodotus seems to regard this custom as universal, but discoveries 
in recent years have shown that it was not so. There is an interesting 
account of Babylonian customs in Ragozin's "Story of Media, Babylon, 
and Persia" (pp. 244-260), taken from tablets discovered in 1874, which are 
believed to be the private account-books of a family of Jewish money- 
lenders. 



STORIES OF CECESUS, CYEUS AND BABYLON. 85 

have seen others cured. But it is not lawful for any to 
pass by the sick man till he shall have made inquiry 
what his disease may be. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

CYEUS MAKETH WAE AGAINST THE MASSAGET^, AND 

DIETH. 

1. When Cyrus had conquered the Babylonians and 
taken their city, it came into his heart to make war 5 
against the Massagetse and to subdue them. This is a 
very great and valiant nation, dwelling toward the sun- 
rising, beyond the river Araxes. This Araxes is a great 
river, having in it islands that are of the bigness of 
Lesbos. In these islands, which are, they say, many in 10 
number, there dwell men who eat in the summer all 
manner of roots, but for the winter they store up such 
fruits as they have found to be good for food. 

2. They have among them one tree that beareth 
fruits of a very wonderful kind. The men assemble in 15 
companies and light a fire, and sit round the fire in a 
circle; then they throw upon this fire of the fruit of the 
tree; and when they smell the savor of the fruit that is 
thrown upon the fire, they grow drunken with the 
smell thereof, even as the G-reeks grow drunken with 20 
wine; and more fruit being thrown upon the fire they 
grow yet more drunken, till at the last they come to 

6. Massagetae (mas-saj'e-te): A wild and warlike Scythian people, dwel- 
ling near the Caspian Sea. The Araxes River is the same as the Jaxartes. 



86 STORIES OF CRCESIJS; CYRUS AKD BABYLON". 

dancing and singing. In the marshes of this river where 
it floweth into the sea — and it floweth, they say, throughl 
forty mouths — there dwell men that have fish only for 
food, eating them raw, and for clothing they have the 
5 skins of seals. 

3. Now the cause wherefore Cyrus had it in his mind 
to make war against the Massagetae was this : that his 
spirit was puffed up and exalted with many things, as 
with his birth, from which he judged that he was 

lo above the measure of a man, and with his good luck 
that had followed him in his wars; for of all the nations 
against whom he had been minded to make war not onef 
had been able to escape. Now the ruler of the Massa- 
getge in those days was a woman, whose husband was 

15 dead, and the name of this woman was Tomyris. 

4. Cyrus therefore sent messengers to her, saying that 
he would fain take her to wife. But Tomyris, knowing 
that he wished not for her but for the kingdom of the 
Massagetse, denied herself to him. Then Cyrus, when 

20 he could not prevail by craft, marched to the river 
Araxes, and made war openly against the Massagetse, 
for he began to make bridges of ships over the river by 
which his army might be able to cross, and to build also 
towers for defense upon the ships. 

25 5. But while he was busying himself with theseij 
things, Queen Tomyris sent to him, saying, " King of* 
the Medes, cease from doing these things that thou art 
doing; for thou canst not know whether they will be tot 
thy profit. Coase from them therefore, and rule thy 

30 own people, and be content also to see me ruling over 
my people. Yet, as I know that thou wilt not follow 
this my counsel, and that there is nothing that is less to 
thy mind than to be at peace, I offer thee this. If 



STORIES OF CRffiSUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLON". 87 

thou greatly desirest to make trial of the strength of 
the Massagetse, then cease from this thy labor of making 
bridges across the Araxes, and when we have gone back 
three days^ march from the river, then take thy army 
across; or, if thou wouldst rather have it so, do thou on 5 
thy part go back three days' journey from the river, and 
abide our coming/' 

6. When Cyrus heard this, he called together the 
chief men of the Persians, and laid the whole matter 
before them, inquiring of them which of these two 10 
things he should rather do. For the most part the 
council of the Persians agreed together that he should 
suffer Tomyris and her army to enter his country. But 
Croesus the Lydian, being present in the council, agreed 
not with this opinion, but gave contrary advice, saying, 15 
" I have said to thee aforetime, King, that from the 
day when Zeus made thee lord over me, I cease not to 
turn away, if it may be, any evil that I may j^erceive 
coming upon thy house. And, indeed, my own troubles 
have been hard teachers to me. 20 

7. "Now, therefore, if thou countest thyself to be 
immortal and the army which thou rulest to be im- 
mortal also^ there shall be no need that I should show 
forth my» opinion. But if thou knowest thyself to be 

a man only, and thine army to be of men only, then 25 
consider that there is as it were a wheel of the fortunes 
of men, and that this wheel turneth round always, and 
sutfereth not the same man to be always in prosperity. 
Now, my opinion is contrary to the opinion of these. 

8. "If thou sutferest these men to come into thy 30 



26. Among the Greeks and Romans there was a goddess of fortune, called 
Fortuna, who was usually represented with a wheel, the token of insta- 
bility. 



88 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLON". 

country, there is this peril. If thou fleest before them, 
then thou losest thy whole kingdom. But if, on the 
contrary, thou comest into their country and they flee 
before thee, then thou wilt conquer them altogether. 
5 Also, it doth not become thee, being such an one as 
Cyrus the son of Cambyses, to give place before a 
woman. But hearken now unto me, and I will tell thee 
what thou shalt do. 

9. " These Massagetee have no knowledge of the good 
10 things of the Persians. Do thou, therefore, kill for 

these men great store of sheep, and cause their flesh to 
be cooked, and furnish a feast for them in our camp. 
Forget not also to fill bowls with wine without stint, 
and to set out all manner of good things. Which when 

15 thou hast done, leave there in the camp that which is of 
least account in thy army, and go back again with that 
which remains to the river. For I am persuaded that 
these men, when they see these good things, will fly 
forthwith upon them, and that we shall find occasion to 

20 do great things against them." 

10. Then Cyrus rejected the former counsel, and 
chose the counsel of Croesus. Wherefore he sent a 
message to Queen Tomyris, that she should depart from 
the river, for that he was resolved to cross over into her 

25 country. After this he called his son Cambyses, to 
whom also he had left the kingdom after him, and com- 
mitted Croesus into his hands, bidding him deal kindly 
with him and honor him, if he should not prosper in 
battle with the Massagetse. And when he had sent 

30 these two away into the land of Persia, he himself 
crossed the river Araxes with his army. 

11. In the night after he had crossed the river he saw 
a vision in his sleep, and the vision was this. He saw 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYLOT^. 89 

the eldest of the sons of Hystaspes, having wings upon 
his shoulders, with one whereof he shadowed the whole 
land of Asia, and with the other the whole land of Europe. 
Now, the eldest of the sons of Hystas|)es, who was of 
the house of Achsemenes, was Darius, being then about 5 
twenty years of age; and he had been left in the land 
of Persia as not being of age to go with the host. 

12. And Cyrus, when he woke from sleep, considered 
with himself what this vision might mean; and because 

it seemed to him a very great matter, he called Hystas- lo 
pes, and taking him apart by himself, said to him, 
" Hystaspes, thy son is manifestly proved to be laying 
plots against me and my kingdom. And how I know 
this thing thou shalt hear. The Gods have great care 
for me, and show me beforehand all things that shall 15 
come to pass. Now, therefore, in this night past I saw 
a vision in my sleep — even the eldest of thy sons 
with wings upon his shoulders, with one whereof he 
shadowed the land of Asia, and with the other, the land 
of Europe. 20 

13. " Seeing then that I have had this vision, it must 
needs be that he is laying plots against me. Do thou, 
therefore, depart with all speed into the land of Persia, 
and see that, when I shall have subdued this country 
and am returned, he shall be brought to the trial.^^ This 25 
said Cyrus thinking that Darius was laying plots against 
him. But in very truth the Gods showed him by this 
vision that he should die in that land, and that his 
kingdom should be given to Darius. 

14. Then Hystaspes made answer, " My lord the 30 



5. Achaemenes (a-keem'e-neez): The ancestor of the Persian kings, whose 
descendants were called Achcemenidce. Hj'staspes (his,-tas 'peez) wa& thus 
of the royal house. 



90 STOEIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AOT BABYL02!f. 

King, the Gods forbid that there should be any Persian 
who would plot against thee, and if such there be, may 
he be brought to naught. For thou hast made the Per- 
sians free who were slaves before, and to be the rulers 
5 of all men in place of being ruled by others. If, there- 
fore, it be signified by this vision that my son is plot- 
ting against thee, be sure that I will deliver him to thee 
to do with him as thou wilt.^^ 

15. AYhen Hystaspes had said this, he crossed the 
10 Araxes and went his way into the land of Persia, that 

he might keep Darius his son against King Cyrus 
should return. And when Cyrus had gone a day's 
march from the river Araxes, he did according to the 
word of Croesus. For he returned with the better part 
15 of his army to the river and left the worse part behind. 

16. Then there came a third part of the army of the 
Massagetse, and fought with those that Cyrus had left 
behind, and slew them. And when they had van- 
quished their enemies, seeing the feast that had been 

20 prepared, they sat down and feasted ; and having filled 
themselves with food and wine, they lay down to sleep. 
But while they slept the Persians came upon them, and 
slew many of them, and took yet more of them alive. 
And among them that they took was the captain of the 

25 host of the Massagetse, being a son of Queen Tomyris, 
whose name was Spargapises. 

17. And when the queen knew what had befallen the 
army and her son also, she sent unto Cyrus, saying, 
" Be not puffed up, Cyrus, thou that never canst be 

30 satisfied with blood, by reason of this thing that thou 
hast done. For thou hast taken of the fruit of the 
vine, with which ye are wont to fill yourselves to mad- 

' ness, so that when the wine enters into you, there come 



STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AKD BABYLOIir. 91 

forth from you all manner of evil words ; this, I say, 
thou hast taken, and with it hast prevailed over my son, 
vanquishing him by craft, and not by strength. 

18. " Now, therefore, I give thee this counsel. Give 
back to me my son, and go thy way out of this land un- 5 
hurt, having worked thy will upon the third part of 
the army of the Massagetae. But if thou wilt not do 
according to my words, then I swear by the Sun, who 
is the lord of the Massagetae, that though thou canst 
not be satisfied with blood, yet will I satisfy thee.^^ lo 

19. But Cyrus, when this message was brought to 
him, took no heed of it. After this, Spargapises, the 
son of Queen Tomyris, when the wine had left him, and 
he knew into what trouble he had come, made entreaty 
to Cyrus that he might be loosened awhile from his 15 
bonds. But so soon as ever he was loosed, he slew him- 
self. 

20. After this Queen Tomyris, seeing that Cyrus 
would not listen to her counsel, gathered together all 
her army, and joined battle with the Persians. And of 20 
all battles that have ever been fought among barbarians 
was never one fiercer than this battle. First they stood 
apart and shot at each other with bows ; and when 
their arrows were spent, they fell upon each other with 
spears and swords, and so fought. 25 

21. For a long time they contended against each 
other, and neither the one nor the other would give 
place. But at the last the Massagetae prevailed over 
the Persians. And the greater part of the army of the 
Persians perished on that day, and Cyrus himself also 30 
was slain, having reigned twenty and eight years. Then 
Queen Tomyris, having first filled a skin with man^s 
blood, commanded :hat they should search among the 



92 STORIES OF CRCESUS, CYRUS AND BABYL0;N". 

dead bodies for the body of Cyrus. And when they had 
found it, she cut off his head and thrust it into the 
skin, and scoffed at the dead body, saying, " Thou didst 
take my son by craft when I could have prevailed over 
5 thee in battle ; and now, as I sware, I will satisfy thee 
with blood/^ 

22. Thus Cyrus the son of Cambyses the Persian died 
in the land of the MassagetaB, and Cambyses his son 
reigned in his stead. 



7. It is believed that the tomb of Cyrus still exists at Murg-Auh, the 
ancient Pasargadce. On a square base, composed of immense blocks of 
beautiful white marble, rising in steps, stands a chamber or house-like 
structure, with sloping roof, which once probably contained a sarcophagus' 
The natives call it the tomb of the Mother of Solomon. 



Peonouncing Vocabulary. 



Note: Final a is sounded as in the word opera. 



Abse, a'be. 
Abdera, ab de'ra. 
Achaemenes, a-keem'e-neez. 
Acliaimenidte, ak-e-men'i-de. 
Adrastiis, a-dras'tus. 
^olia, e-o'li-a. 
Agamedes, ag-a-me'deez. 
Alcinaeoii, alk-me'on. 
Alyattes, a-li at'teez. 
Amasis, a-ma'sis. 
Ampliiaraus^ am fi-a-ra'us. 
Anabasis, a-uab'a-sis 
Apollo, a-pol'lo. 
Araxes, a-raks'eez. 
Ardericca, ar-de-rik'ka. 
Argantlionius, ar-gan-tho'ni us. 
Argos, ar'gos. 
Aristodicus, a-ris-to-di'kus. 
Armenia, ar-me'ni-a. 
Artembares, ar-tem'ba-reez. 
Artemis, ar'te-mis. 
Aryenis, a-ri-e'nis. 
Asia, a'shi-a. 
Aspasia, as-pa'zhi-a. 
Astyages, as-ti'a-jeez. 
Atarnes, a-tar'neez, 
Athens, ath'enz. 
Atropos, at'ro-pos. 
Atys, a'tis. 

Baal, ba'al. 
Babylon, bab'I-lon. 
Bacchus, bak'kus. 
Belus, be'lus. 
Bias, bi'as. 
Biton, bi'ton. 
Boeotia, be-o'sW-a 
BrauchidEe, bran'ki de. 

Cambyses, kanri-bi'seez, 
Cappadocia, kap-pa-do'shi-a. 
Caria, ka'ri-a. 



Carians, ka'i'i-anz. 
Carthage, kar'thaj. 
Chios, ki'os. 
Choaspes, ko-as'peez. 
Cilicia, si-lish'i-a. 
Cleobis, kle'o-bis. 
Clotho, klo'tho. 
Colchis, kol'kis. 
Croesus, kre'sus. 
Cumae, ku'me. 
Cyaxares, si-aks'a-reez. 
Cyrnus, sir'nus. 
Cyrus, si'rus. 

Darius, da-ri'us. 
Delphi, del'-fi. 
Diana, di-a'na. 
Doddna, do-do'na. 

Ecbatana, ek-bat'a-na. 
Egbatana, eg-bat'a-na. 
Egypt, e'jipt. 
Eleusis, e-lu'sis. 
Endymion, en-dim'i-on. 
Ephesian, e-fe'zhi-an. 
Ephesus, ef e-sus. 
Epii-us, e-pi'rus. 
Euphrates, u-fra'teez. 
Euripides, u-rip'i-deez. 

Fates, fats. 
Eortuna, for-tu'na. 

Gordias, gor'di-as. 
Gygsea, ji-je'a. 
Gyndes, jin'deez. 

Halicarnassus, hal-i-kar-nas'sus. 
Halys, ha'lis. 
Hammon, hana'mon. 
Harpagus, har'pa-gus. 
Here, lie're. 

93 



M 



PROKOUNCING VOCABULARY. 



Herodotus, he-rod'o-tus. 
Hesperid.es, hes-per'i-deez. 
Hyroeades, hi-re'a-deez. 
Hystaspes, his-tas'peez. 

Ionia, i-o'ni-a. 
Isaiah, i-za'ya. 

Juno, ju'no. 
Jupiter, ju'pi-ter. 

Iiabynetus, lab-i-ne'tus. 
Iiacedaenion, las-e-de'mon. 
Liachesis, lak'e-sis. 
Liacrines, lak'ri-neez. 
Lesbos, les'bos. 
Iiibya, lib'i-a. 
I.ybian, lib'i-an. 
Lycians, lish'i-anz. 
liydia, lid'i-a. 
Liydus, li'dus. 

Magians, ma'ji-anz, 
Mandane, man-da'ne. 
Manes, ma'neez. 
Mardian, mar'di-an. 
Massagetai, mas-saj'e-te. 
Mazares, maz'a-reez. 
Medes, meedz. 
Meles, me'leez. 
Midas, mi'das. 
Miletus, mi-le'tus. 
Mitradates, mit-ra-da'teez, 
Mitylene, mit-i-le'ne. 
Mysia, mizh'i-a. 

Nebuchadnezzar, neb-u-kad-nez' 

zar. 
Nineveh, niu'e-ve. 
Nitocris, ni-to'kris. 

Olympus, o-lim'pus. 

Pactolus, pak-to'lus. 
Pactyas, pak'ti-as. 
Palestine, pares-tln. 
Panyasis, pa-ni'a-sis. 
Parcse, par'se. 
Pasargadae, pa-sar'ga-de. 
Pelops, pe'lops. 
Pericles, per'i-kleez. 
Persians, per'shi-anz. 
Pharaoh, fa'ro. 
Phidias, fid'i-as. 
Phoceea, fo-se'a. 



Phocis, fo'sis. 
Phraortes, fra-or'teez. 
Phrygia, frij'i-a. 
Pittacus, pit'la-kus. 
Plato, pla'to. 
Plutarch, plu'tark. 
Priene, pri-e'ne. 
Pterium, te'ri-um. 
Pythernius, pi-ther'mus. 
Pythia, pith'i-a. 

Rhegium, re'ji-um. 

Samos, sa'mos. 
Sandanis, san'da-nis, 
Sardis, sar'dis. 
Scythia, sith'i-a. 
Seniiramis, se-mir'a-mis. 
Sinope, si-no'pe. 
Smyrna, smer'na. 
Solon, soTon. 
Sophocles, sof'o-kleez. 
Spaco, spa'ko. 

Spargapises, spar-ga-pi'seez. 
Sparta, spar'ta. 
Susa, su'sa. 
Syennesis, si-en'ne-sis. 

Tabalus, tab'a-lus. 
Tacitus, tas'i-tus. 
Tartessus, tar-tes'sus. 
Teispes, te-is'peez. 
Tellus, tel'lus. 
Telmessus, tel-mes'sus. 
Thales, tha'leez. 
Thrace, thras. 
Thucydides, thu-sid'i-deez. 
Thurii, thu'ri-i. 
Tigris, ti'gris. 
Tios, ti'os. 
Tomyris, tom'i-ris. 
Trophonius, tro-fo'ni-us. 
Tyre, tlr. 

Tyrrhenus, tir-re'nus. 
Tyrsenia, tir-se'ni-a. 

Umbri, um'bri. 

Venus, ve'nus. 

Xanthus, zan'thus. 
Xenophon, zen'o-fon. 
Xerxes, zerks'eez. 

Zeno, ze'uo. 



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